03/13/2007 BASKING RIDGE, NJ ? While Chicago is dyeing its river emerald and New York City is lining Fifth Avenue with shamrocks, wireless customers across the nation can also ?go green? this St. Patrick's Day ? and every day ? by donating their no-longer-used wireless phones and accessories to the Verizon Wireless HopeLine® program. HopeLine collects wireless phones, chargers and accessories from any wireless service provider or manufacturer, then refurbishes the phones for re-use or recycles them in an environmentally sound way.

There are currently more than 230 million wireless phone subscribers in the United States alone, according to the wireless industry's trade association, and studies show that wireless phone users upgrade and replace their phones an average of once every 18 months. HopeLine provides a ?green? solution for these no-longer-used devices, keeping more than 200 tons of electronic waste and batteries out of landfills and collecting more than 3.5 million phones since 2001.

HopeLine also puts the nation's most reliable wireless network to work in local communities by turning unused wireless phones into support for victims of domestic violence. In 2006, wireless customers donated 910,000 no-longer-used wireless phones to HopeLine to support domestic violence prevention and awareness programs nationwide. The phone collections resulted in nearly $1.3 million in cash grants and more than 16,000 HopeLine phones with airtime and other features given to shelters and other organizations working to support victims of domestic violence last year.

Verizon Wireless is a recognized corporate leader for its commitment to preventing domestic violence and raising awareness of the issue. No-longer-used phones are collected in more than 2,200 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the country. For more information on Verizon Wireless? HopeLine program and on how to donate a wireless phone, visit verizonwireless.com/hopeline.