Verizon's My Fabulous Quince 2011 Winners To Receive Quinceañera Of Their Dreams

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Thirteen teens each won an all-expenses-paid Quinceañera, a college scholarship and Verizon products, as part of Verizon’s My Fabulous Quince 2011 essay contest. The teens were among nearly 10,000 applicants from across the United States who submitted their entries for a chance to win the Quince of their dreams. The entries were narrowed down to 20 finalists from 13 cities and surrounding areas, and the public cast their votes online and through text messaging. Brenda Benitez from San Diego, Calif., received the highest number of votes, and as the grand prize recipient, will also enjoy an exclusive performance by multi-platinum recording artist Prince Royce at her party.

“We are very pleased with the response we received for My Fabulous Quince. We received nearly 10,000 entries and a tremendous amount of support from the public for our finalists,” said Elva Lima, executive director of community relations and multicultural communications at Verizon Wireless. “This program is yet another way to connect with the community, and we are pleased to give 13 teens the Quinceañera of their dreams.”

My Fabulous Quince applicants were asked to submit three essays about the importance of having a Quince, their contribution to the community and their academic goals after high school. Essays and photos of the 20 finalists from each participating market were posted during a two-week period and consumers were asked to vote for their favorite teen on http://www.myfabulousquince.com.

Grand Prize Winner

Brenda Benitez from San Diego was awarded the Verizon’s My Fabulous Quince 2011 grand prize and will receive an all-expenses-paid Quince for up to 200 guests, a $5,000 college scholarship, an exclusive live concert by Latin music sensation, Prince Royce and three Verizon smartphones. Royce will sing his greatest hits at Benitez’s party on Nov. 5, including “Stand By Me,” “Corazón Sin Cara” and “Mi Ultima Carta.”

“Sharing special moments with my fans is one of the things that I enjoy the most,” said Prince Royce. “While touring the U.S. during Verizon’s My Fabulous Quince expos this summer, I was able to meet and hang out with thousands of fans. Now, I’m very excited because I will make Brenda’s dream come true by performing at her Quince.”

First Prize Winners

The top finalist in each of the remaining 12 cities will receive a first prize package, which includes a party for 100 guests with all expenses covered by Verizon, as well as a $2,500 college scholarship and a Verizon smartphone.

The following are the first prize winners of Verizon’s My Fabulous Quince 2011:

• Jennifer Cabezas – Culpeper, Va. – Nov. 19
• Vanessa Cervantes – Rio Rancho, N.M. – Dec. 10
• Ashley De La Garza – San Antonio – Oct. 29
• Alessa Juarez – Fort Worth, Texas – Dec. 10
• Sandra Melendez – Fresno, Calif. – Nov. 12
• Kaitlyn Menendez – Miramar, Fla. – Nov. 12
• Priscilla Daniela Quiroz – Aurora, Ill. – Oct. 29
• Lourdes Reyes – Tampa, Fla. – Oct. 22
• Joemilly Rodriguez – Brentwood, N.Y. – Dec. 3
• Victoria Rodriguez – Houston – Nov. 19
• Arlyn Sanchez – El Paso, Texas – Oct. 22
• Samantha Sanchez – El Paso, Texas – Dec. 3

For more information about the winners and details about their fabulous parties, please visit www.myfabulousquince.com.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 106.3 million total wireless connections, including 89.7 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Prince Royce
Breakthrough Latin recording artist Prince Royce has exploded into the mainstream with his fresh urban approach to traditional bachata music, fusing Tropical Latin with contemporary R&B and pop rhythms. Royce’s self-titled debut album, released in 2010, has been certified double platinum, while garnering a 2010 Latin Grammy® nomination, three 2011 Premio Lo Nuestro Awards and four 2011 Latin Billboard Awards. “Prince Royce” became the #1 Latin album in the country, more than a year after its release, marking an unprecedented achievement for a developing Latin music artist. Royce’s first single, a bilingual bachata cover of the 1961 Ben E. King classic, “Stand By Me,” reached the #1 position on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart; and his second single, “Corazón Sin Cara,” written by Royce himself, fared even better, shooting up to #1 on Billboard’s Latin Songs chart.

The artist has had two sold-out tours in Europe, one in the U.S., and has been invited by Enrique Iglesias to be a special guest on his fall 2011 tour of North America. Royce has recently entered into an exclusive, long-term, worldwide recording deal with Atlantic Records via a joint venture with Top Stop Music to release his next albums in English and Spanish.

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