Verizon Wireless Celebrates Grand Opening of Newest Communications Store in Fort Lee, NJ

FORT LEE, N.J., Feb. 28  /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the growing demand for the company's voice and data products and services, Verizon Wireless, this weekend will begin a two-week grand opening celebration of its newest Communications Store at 2151 Lemoine Avenue in Fort Lee. Grand opening festivities will include two days of family fun and a donation to a non-profit agency serving local families at risk.

The new store integrates the interactive retail design introduced last spring at the company's Communications Store on Route 3 in Clifton. It features over 3,000 square feet of retail, technical support and customer service space to accommodate hands-on displays in a full-service environment.

Staffed by knowledgeable wireless professionals, many of whom speak Spanish, Korean or Chinese, the store reflects the multicultural flavor of the Ft. Lee community. Consumers visiting the store can "test drive" a broad range of equipment and service options, including the sleek new touch-screen Voyager phone, equipped for live V CAST Mobile TV and full access to the Internet; VZ Navigator, which provides audible turn-by-turn directions; and V CAST Music which allows customers to download full songs directly to their phones and Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP-based PCs.

On Saturday, March 1, and Saturday, March 8, Verizon Wireless invites the community to join in the celebration highlighted by live radio remote broadcasts by some of the area's leading radio personalities. Refreshments will be served throughout both days when entertainment will include a Chinese calligraphy artist and an origami artist who will demonstrate the ancient Japanese art of paper folding.

On Thursday, March 13, local officials will join Store Manager Jamillah Jackson for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony including a HopeLine(R) donation of pre-paid wireless phones to the Bergen Family Center's Korean and Hispanic outreach programs. Founded in 1898, the Bergen Family Center is an advocate for disadvantaged families in the Asian and Hispanic communities, offering a variety of bilingual programs and proactive services to help enrich and strengthen families and break the cycle of domestic violence.

Verizon Wireless' national HopeLine phone recycling program collects used cell phones of any make or model, from any wireless carrier. Phones are recycled or sold and the proceeds are donated in the form of cash grants and pre-paid wireless handsets to advocacy groups for use by battered women.

Fort Lee Store Manager Jamillah Jackson encourages local residents to stop by the store and drop off their old, no-longer-used wireless phones and accessories.

"This small act can make a huge difference in the lives of women and children affected by violence in the home," Jackson said. "HopeLine is an innovative approach that not only helps protect women and families at risk, but also protects the environment by keeping electronic waste out of our landfills."

Verizon Wireless was the first wireless carrier in the nation to collect and recycle old cell phones and has done so since January 1999, first in New Jersey and then across the U.S. Nationally, the Verizon Wireless HopeLine program has given more than $5 million in cash grants and more than 60,000 phones with airtime to domestic violence prevention organizations. Locally, HopeLine's direct and in-kind donations total more than $850,000.

Fort Lee residents interested in recycling their phones can visit the store during regular business hours -- Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The store is closed on Sunday. The store phone number is 201-969-4790.

The Fort Lee Communications Store is one of 142 Verizon Wireless interactive retail locations in the New York Metro area and the tenth to open in Bergen County. HopeLine phone donations are accepted at all Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in New Jersey and across the nation. For store locations and additional information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving more than 65.7 million customers. The largest U.S. wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 68,000 employees nationwide. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications  and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at http://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 http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia. 

Verizon Wireless