Verizon Wireless Customers Can Join in Earthquake and Cyclone Relief Efforts by Sending Text Messages to '4SAVE'

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- In a show of support
for survivors of the natural disasters that occurred last month in
China and Myanmar, Verizon Wireless is enabling its customers across
the United States to join in the relief efforts by donating money to
Save the Children, an agency that implements programs focused on early
childhood health and development, child survival and child protection.

Beginning today, Verizon Wireless post-pay customers with phones
capable of text messaging can use those phones to donate to Save the
Children. To participate, customers can send a message to the address
4SAVE (47283) with the key word "quake" to contribute to earthquake
relief or the key word "cyclone" to contribute to cyclone relief.

Texters will receive a reply message asking them to confirm a
donation to Save the Children of $5 for the designated program. To do
so, customers will press "Y" on their keypad and then send that
message. Customers wishing to donate more than once can send up to four
additional text messages to 4SAVE, for a total contribution of $25 to
each effort.

The donations will appear on the customer's next monthly bill, and
the entire amount of each donation will be provided to Save the
Children to be used toward earthquake and cyclone relief and recovery
efforts. Verizon Wireless will not charge for messages sent to
customers as part of this program; however, standard text messaging
rates will apply to messages customers send, but the fees collected
from those messages will be donated by Verizon Wireless to Save the
Children when the program is completed. The program will end on July
31, 2008.

"Because Save the Children has been working in Myanmar and China
for more than a decade, we were positioned to respond to the immediate
needs of hundreds of thousands of families when the disasters struck,"
said Charles MacCormack, president and chief executive officer of Save
the Children. "Our staff has been working tirelessly to provide food,
water, and health care supplies to the people affected by these
emergencies, but there are still many more who need help. We thank
Verizon Wireless for their support of our efforts and for giving their
customers a way to help these communities recover and rebuild."

"Verizon Wireless customers send and receive nearly 20 billion text
messages per month, and we're glad we've put this technology to use for
such an important cause," said Lowell McAdam, president and chief
executive officer of Verizon Wireless. "On behalf of everyone at
Verizon Wireless, we're happy to be able to facilitate the giving to
help people in both countries."

Donations to Save the Children under this program are tax
deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information on Save
the Children, please visit www.savethechildren.org.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice
and data network, serving 67.2 million customers. Headquartered in
Basking Ridge, N.J., with 69,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless
is a joint venture of Verizon Communications NYSE: VZ and Vodafone
NYSE: VOD LSE: VOD. For more information, go to: 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 www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Save the Children

Save the Children (www.savethechildren.org)
is the leading independent organization creating lasting change for
children in need in the United States and around the world. For more
than 75 years, Save the Children has been helping children survive and
thrive by improving their health, education and economic opportunities
and, in times of acute crisis, mobilizing rapid lifesaving assistance
to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural
disasters.

Website: http://www.verizonwireless.com/
Website: http://www.savethechildren.org/
Website: http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia/