Verizon Wireless, Philadelphia Eagles to Raise Funds for Area Shelters and Increase Awareness of Domestic Violence

PHILADELPHIA, April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless and the Philadelphia Eagles kicked off the new domestic violence awareness campaign, "Pass Along Hope," yesterday at the Verizon Wireless SMART Store in Bensalem, PA. Eagles tight end Brent Celek joined Verizon Wireless Philadelphia Tri-State Region President Rob Miller, Bensalem Township Mayor Joe DiGirolamo and members of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce to share details on the campaign and to participate in an official ribbon cutting ceremony in honor of the SMART store renovation, the first in Bucks County. Verizon Wireless presented a $5,000 check to the "Pass Along Hope" campaign in support of area shelters and organizations.

"We are thrilled to have the support of the Philadelphia Eagles in raising awareness for domestic violence in our region," said Rob Miller, Verizon Wireless Philadelphia Tri-State Regional President. "Verizon Wireless has been a long-standing partner in the crusade to end domestic violence and is eager to spread a message of hope with help from the Philadelphia Eagles."

The interactive "Pass Along Hope" campaign encourages fans and community members to take a stand against domestic violence by donating no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories to regional Verizon Wireless stores and sharing personal messages of hope on Twitter, using the hashtag #EaglesVZWHope. For every phone donated and hashtag tweeted, Verizon Wireless will donate $1 (up to $15,000) to the "Pass Along Hope" campaign, which supports area shelters and organizations.

"I'm proud to stand by the Philadelphia Eagles and Verizon Wireless in their quest to end domestic violence," said Brent Celek, tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles. "Men, women and children across our region are affected by domestic violence every day. By sharing messages of hope we can make a difference in their lives. 'Pass Along Hope' is a way for everyone to show support for an important issue in our community."

Philadelphia Eagles fans and community members are urged to send messages of hope and inspiration for those affected by domestic violence using the hashtag #EaglesVZWHope. Users can also participate by visiting www.PhiladelphiaEagles.com/HopeLine and following along with Brent Celek on both Twitter and Instagram, @BrentCelek. Verizon Wireless (@VZWSheldon) and the Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) will join the conversation, sharing messages of hope within the community.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest and most reliable 4G LTE and 3G networks.  As the largest wireless company in the U.S., Verizon Wireless serves 102.8 million retail customers, including 96.8 million retail postpaid customers.  Verizon Wireless is wholly owned by Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com.  For the latest news and updates about Verizon Wireless, visit our News Center at http://news.verizonwireless.com or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWNews. 

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SOURCE Verizon Wireless