“Old cell phones helping troops stay connected”

Old cell phones helping troops stay connected

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 06:43 PM PDT

SEGUIN — If you've got an old cell phone you're no longer using, it can serve a good purpose by dropping it off at Seguin Chevrolet.

Seguin Chevrolet, 509 W. Interstate 10, is a dropoff location for the Cell Phones for Soldiers recycling program.

"It's a dynamic program," said Shawn Driscoll, general manager at the Chevrolet dealership. He explained that for each cell phone donated to the program a 60-minute calling card will be sent to a U.S. soldier serving overseas.

"Everybody has at least one or two cell phones just sitting in a drawer or on a shelf," Driscoll said. "They just need to bring them in."

Seguin Chevrolet is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and the Cell Phones for Soldiers donation box is easy to find. It is prominently displayed on top of the receptionist's desk.

Driscoll said they've already had seven or eight phones donated by employees at the dealership, and he's hoping to get a lot more.

"I need a dump truck full of phones," Driscoll said. "It's a neat, neat program."

At the national level, Chevrolet has established a goal of raising $1 million for Cell Phones for Soldiers.

"We feel Cell Phones for Soldiers is a worthy cause that fits well with Chevrolet's long-standing commitment to support the men and women serving our country," said Mark Degnan, director of local advertising and marketing for General Motors.

Cell Phones for Soldiers was launched in 2004 after Brittany Bergquist, then 13 years old, and her brother, Robbie, 12, heard about an Army Reserve sergeant who ran up a $7,624 bill making phone calls from Iraq to his family back home in the United States.

Brittany and Robbie pooled their funds, amounting to $21. With contributions from friends and a fund-raising car wash, they boosted their total to $1,000. When they went to deposit the money in an account, the bank chipped in another $500. Subsequent publicity about their effort resulted in the organization's rapid growth.

Since 2004, Cell Phones for Soldiers has sent out prepaid cards giving the troops more than 60 million minutes of free calling.

The organization recently announced a new campaign to offer free cell phones to all armed forces returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Returning troops can receive a refurbished phone, pre-loaded with a month's worth of calling time, to help them restart their lives after active duty.

More information is available at the organization's website, www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.

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