We must admit a bias: We’re huge baseball fans. Specifically, we love the New York Yankees as much as life itself (1.5 back of Boston, wooo!!!). So it brings us much pleasure to deliver the news that Verizon is introducing a cell phone recycling program that will benefit domestic violence survivors. This goes hand in hand with the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation, a charity the Yankees manager has run for quite a few years. Torre himself grew up in an abusive household, so it’s nice to see that he is giving back now that he has the means.
Fans are encouraged to bring no-longer-used cell phones to donate to the Verizon Wireless HopeLine(R) phone recycling program. HopeLine collection boxes will be located outside Gates 4 and 6 and inside the stadium on the Loge Level, Section 10. “Raising awareness about domestic violence is a cause I am proud to support,” said New York Yankees Manager Joe Torre. “To involve two first class organizations like the New York Yankees and Verizon Wireless will only help highlight the importance of educating and informing the public about an issue that affects so many of us.”The cell phone drop off will take place tomorrow, Friday, September 21st, as the Yankees take on the Blue Jays (in their attempt to inch closer to the first-place [hated] Boston Red Sox). If you plan to donate your old phone, we recommend you get there early — you don’t want to be anywhere but on your way out when the game ends, lest you be standing on a cramped ramp with the other 56,000 people trying to leave. This is a serious issue, our baseball rhetoric aside. There were 71 family-related homicides in 2006, which is 71 too many. Now, if there were that many homicides, imagine how many families suffer from domestic abuse issues. We commend Verizon and the Yankees for taking a stand on this issue and using their power and influence to fight it.
Nationally, Verizon Wireless HopeLine has collected nearly 4.2 million wireless phones, and given more than $4 million in cash grants and nearly 40,000 phones with airtime to domestic violence prevention organizations. Locally, HopeLine’s direct and in-kind donations total more than $650,000 including more than $150,000 to the New York City Family Justice Center Initiative.Good stuff. We hope to see you at the Stadium on Friday. It’s for a good cause, and you might get to see the Yankees pull off some history. [CNN Money]]]>
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