Lincoln Donates $100,000 to Red Cross as Vonage Wins 'Smartest Company in America'

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Lincoln has named Vonage the "Smartest Company in America" after it won the "Lincoln Intelligence Project."

The luxury automotive brand will donate $100,000 to the American Red Cross Jersey Coast Chapter on behalf of Vonage, a leading provider of communications services bringing people together through cloud-connected devices worldwide.

The "Lincoln Intelligence Project" searched nationwide for the most technologically and socially savvy company. More than 20 companies competed in games to showcase their intelligence and knowledge of Lincoln, earning points toward winning the contest and benefiting the winning company's charity of choice.

"The activities included reasoning exercises, intuition, puzzle-solving, memory and computation," said Dave Rivers, Lincoln U.S. Marketing Communications Manager.  "Touchscreen tablets with software designed exclusively for the 'Lincoln Intelligence Project' measured individual and group challenges and promoted teamwork."

Over the past three years, Lincoln has donated $300,000 to various charitable organizations on behalf of "Lincoln Intelligence Project" winners to encourage community involvement and create brand awareness through interactive intelligence games.

"We are excited to be named 'Smartest Company in America' by Lincoln, and thrilled that our activities have resulted in funds that will make a difference to those in need in New Jersey, especially following Hurricane Sandy," said Graham McGonigal, Vonage's senior vice president of Network Operations and a board member of the American Red Cross Jersey Coast Chapter. "This honor not only demonstrates just how smart Vonage employees are, but also reinforces their dedication to helping those in our community."

Participants experienced the smart technology of the 2013 Lincoln MKS – a full-size luxury sedan that makes driving easier and more enjoyable. SYNC with MyLincoln Touch™, for example, provides detailed turn-by-turn directions via voice and on-screen graphics, and allows drivers to use voice command to program a destination. Information is managed in whatever way is most convenient for the customer – voice control, touch screen or five-way controllers on the steering wheel.

"Thousands of employees all over the country had the opportunity to experience the 2013 MKS, which helped change opinion, promoted test drives, engaged participants with the brand, and allowed them to opt in to receive more information from Lincoln, all while competing for their favorite charities," said Rivers.

Vonage, headquartered in Holmdel, N.J., won with nearly 195 test drives during the "Lincoln Intelligence Project."

The 2013 three-row premium utility, the MKT, and the midsize luxury crossover, the MKX, also were available for test drives.

"The American Red Cross Jersey Coast Chapter is honored to receive such a generous gift from Vonage through the 'Lincoln Intelligence Project,'" said Nancy Orlando, Regional Executive Director. "We congratulate Vonage on winning the contest and thank them for selecting the Jersey Coast Chapter to receive the award. This gift from Vonage will support our vital community programs and services, including Disaster Relief, Services to Armed Forces, Blood Services and Health and Safety Training."

About Lincoln
Lincoln is the luxury automotive brand of Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), committed to creating compelling vehicles with an exceptional ownership experience to match. Lincoln will introduce four all-new vehicles in the next four years. For more information about Lincoln, please visit media.lincoln.com or www.lincoln.com. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/Lincoln.

About Vonage
Vonage (NYSE: VG) is a leading provider of communications services connecting people through cloud-connected devices worldwide. Our technology serves approximately 2.4 million subscribers. We provide feature-rich, affordable communication solutions that offer flexibility, portability and ease-of-use. Our Vonage World plan offers unlimited calling to more than 60 countries with popular features like call waiting, call forwarding and visual voicemail – for one low monthly rate. Our Vonage Mobile® app lets users make free high-definition calls and send free texts to all users of the app, worldwide. The app works over Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G wireless data networks. Vonage's service is sold on the web and through regional and national retailers including Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Kmart and Sears, and is available to customers in the U.S. (www.vonage.com), Canada (www.vonage.ca) and the United Kingdom (www.vonage.co.uk).

Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey. Vonage® is a registered trademark of Vonage Marketing LLC., owned by Vonage America Inc. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage. To become a fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/vonage. To subscribe on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/vonage.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

SOURCE Lincoln