Alabama Governor Robert Bentley Announces Continued Commitment to Emergency Relief Fund, Accepts $100,000 Donation From Verizon

MONTGOMERY, Ala., May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- After attending events across the state marking the anniversary of the devastating April 2011 tornadoes, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley today announced his commitment to continuing to support recovery efforts through the Governor's Emergency Relief Fund as he accepted a $100,000 donation from the Verizon Foundation.

"The 62 tornadoes that swept across Alabama on April 27, 2011, touched more than 1,200 miles of our state, and while our communities have rebuilt with unbelievable hope and enthusiasm, there is still an incredible amount of work to do," Governor Bentley said. "I want to applaud Verizon for their commitment to long-term recovery. I hope their gift to the Emergency Relief Fund will inspire others to continue the spirit of generosity that we saw in the months following the storms."

Governor Bentley established the Governor's Emergency Relief Fund on May 1, 2011 in the days following the storms. The fund serves to help Alabamians who have exhausted other avenues of disaster relief. It is administered by the Governor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The United Way of Alabama serves as the fiscal agent for the fund.

Individuals, corporations and organizations looking for a way to continue to help with Alabama's long-term recovery can make financial contributions online at www.servealabama.gov or by mail to Governor's Emergency Relief Fund, P.O. Box 1523, Montgomery, AL 36102.

Verizon's contribution of $100,000 is part of the company's ongoing to commitment to helping Alabama rebuild. Verizon contributed $250,000 to help establish the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham's BAMA Rising Fund for long-term recovery in June of 2011 as title sponsor of the BAMA Rising concert event, which raised more than $2.2 million.

"We have more than 1,500 employees in Alabama and tens of thousands of customers who relied on our network in the days following the storms," said Jonathan LeCompte, president – Georgia/Alabama Region, Verizon Wireless. "We will not soon forget this tragedy, and we are committed to supporting Alabama."

About Verizon Foundation
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention. In 2010, the foundation awarded nearly $67 million to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered nearly 6 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with nearly 108 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 194,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

SOURCE Verizon