Family Wins Reunion Valued at $20,000 Thanks to Verizon Wireless

IRVINE, Calif., June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With more than 50,000 votes from the public, the Lathern family of Hawthorne, California won the grand prize of Verizon Wireless' It's A Family Affair™ program.  The all-expense-paid family reunion for up to 100 guests is valued at $20,000.  The grand prize includes a reunion venue, catering, entertainment, a website dedicated to reunion videos, pictures and messages, and four BlackBerry devices.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110630/LA28552)

"I can't believe we actually won!" said Valerie Lathern.  "We are so excited — it will be the first ever Lathern-Holt family reunion held in the Los Angeles area. We truly thank Verizon Wireless for bringing our family together for a dream family reunion!"

The Latherns believe family reunions are important for a variety of reasons: reminiscing, sharing traditions, imparting wisdom, honoring those who have passed and welcoming new people into the family.

"Being part of the communities we serve is important to Verizon Wireless," said Christina Gonzalez, director of multicultural marketing for Verizon Wireless in the western U.S.  "With more than 100 entries from across California, and 182,000 text and online votes, we're connecting with people in meaningful ways."  This is the first year for It's A Family Affair in the state.

Contestants submitted pictures and written statements, illustrating how their families stay connected throughout the year, and explaining why reunions are an important tradition to their family.  Applicants also shared words of wisdom that their families live by and pass down from one generation to the next.  The public voted for semi-finalists selected by the company to compete for the grand prize.  The Lathern family earned the most votes, totaling more than 50,000.

Visit www.verizonfamilyaffair.com to read the Lathern family winning entry, download the family reunion planning app and view pictures from the Lathern family reunion.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's fastest, most advanced 4G network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 104 million total wireless connections, including more than 88 million retail customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit 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.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless