Cellphone for soldiers... An amazing story.....
Of all the things made possible by the internet, long distance communication
is one of the most prevalent. Phone companies compete with one another to
make long-distance calling more accessible and inexpensive while companies
such as Skype, AT&T, Vontage and countless others have created data
services, telephone apps, and many other additional features to keep friends
and family connected over thousands of miles of separation. In light of all
these wonderful advancements, we often forget that easy, fast and cheap
communication has not always been the case.
*[image: Cell Phones for Soldiers photo]*In April 2004, 13-year-old Brittany
Bergquist and her 12-year-old brother Robbie learned that United States Army
Reserve Sergeant Bryan Fletcher was struggling to pay his cell phone bill of
over $7,000. Fletcher, who was stationed in Iraq at the time, was calling
his family in Massachusetts, unaware of the cost of roaming charges.
The Bergquist kids gathered $14 of their own money and asked the school
principal if they could collect snack money from their classmates. Now with
a total $21, they opened a bank account and brainstormed other ways to help
Fletcher stay in touch with his family. After the Bergquist’s bank realized
what the kids were doing, it donated another $500 to the cause. Shortly
after opening the account and hosting several fundraisers, the newspapers
caught wind of the story and, because of the efforts of Brittany and Robbie,
the cell phone company waived Sergeant Fletcher’s bill.
Robbie and Brittany were delighted to help one soldier, however they soon
realized, "if one soldier had a problem, then there must be more."
Now in its seventh year of existence, Cell Phones for Soldiers (CPFS), a
family-run organization, has raised more than $7 million, provided over 114
million minutes of free talk time and recycled in excess of 8.3 million cell
phones: a significant reduction in electronic waste in landfills.
Organizational partners such as General Motors, AT&T, Liberty Tax Service,
local schools and universities, as well as thousands of individuals in
communities nationwide support over 15,000 collection sites which
collect donated
Of all the things made possible by the internet, long distance communication
is one of the most prevalent. Phone companies compete with one another to
make long-distance calling more accessible and inexpensive while companies
such as Skype, AT&T, Vontage and countless others have created data
services, telephone apps, and many other additional features to keep friends
and family connected over thousands of miles of separation. In light of all
these wonderful advancements, we often forget that easy, fast and cheap
communication has not always been the case.
*[image: Cell Phones for Soldiers photo]*In April 2004, 13-year-old Brittany
Bergquist and her 12-year-old brother Robbie learned that United States Army
Reserve Sergeant Bryan Fletcher was struggling to pay his cell phone bill of
over $7,000. Fletcher, who was stationed in Iraq at the time, was calling
his family in Massachusetts, unaware of the cost of roaming charges.
The Bergquist kids gathered $14 of their own money and asked the school
principal if they could collect snack money from their classmates. Now with
a total $21, they opened a bank account and brainstormed other ways to help
Fletcher stay in touch with his family. After the Bergquist’s bank realized
what the kids were doing, it donated another $500 to the cause. Shortly
after opening the account and hosting several fundraisers, the newspapers
caught wind of the story and, because of the efforts of Brittany and Robbie,
the cell phone company waived Sergeant Fletcher’s bill.
Robbie and Brittany were delighted to help one soldier, however they soon
realized, "if one soldier had a problem, then there must be more."
Now in its seventh year of existence, Cell Phones for Soldiers (CPFS), a
family-run organization, has raised more than $7 million, provided over 114
million minutes of free talk time and recycled in excess of 8.3 million cell
phones: a significant reduction in electronic waste in landfills.
Organizational partners such as General Motors, AT&T, Liberty Tax Service,
local schools and universities, as well as thousands of individuals in
communities nationwide support over 15,000 collection sites which
collect donated
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