Verizon Wireless Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament With Atlanta Falcons Raises $15,000 for Operation Homefront

ALPHARETTA, Ga., June 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless, which operates the nation's fastest, most advanced 4G network and largest, most reliable 3G network, presented a total amount of $15,000 to Operation Homefront at the seventh annual Verizon Wireless Network of Champions Golf Tournament on Monday, June 13 at The River Club in Suwanee.

Verizon Wireless and the Atlanta Falcons presented Operation Homefront with a check in the amount of $15,000 to benefit the organization, which provides emergency and morale assistance for our troops, the families they leave behind and wounded warriors when they return home through emergency aid, financial assistance, care packages, community services, and much, much more. The money raised for Operation Homefront was through a number of activities at the golf event including a silent auction and mulligan sales.

"This is our seventh year hosting the Network of Champions Golf Tournament along with the Atlanta Falcons and it's always a fun, rewarding experience. A special thanks to the Falcons as well as the Verizon Wireless employees and tournament attendees who came out and donated their time and money to pay homage to our brave military personnel and their families through a worthy organization such as Operation Homefront," said Jeff Mango, president for the Georgia/Alabama Region of Verizon Wireless. "Our soldiers risk their lives on our behalf every day and it is wonderful to be able to give something back to them to show our appreciation."

"We're so grateful for Verizon Wireless' continued support for our organization and the military men and women and their families that we work with on a daily basis," said Kim Scofi, Georgia Chapter President of Operation Homefront. "This is our second year participating in this event, and it's always a great time. With the high volume of service members deployed in recent years, we need the community's support now more than ever, and we are extremely thankful for Verizon Wireless and the Atlanta Falcons for everything they've done for us today."

At this annual celebrity event, hosted by Verizon Wireless and the Atlanta Falcons, attendees were able to the meet the Atlanta Falcons leadership including Head Coach Mike Smith, General Manager Thomas Dimitroff, Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularky, Defensive Coordinator Brian VanGorder and Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong as well as former players Jesse Tuggle, Dave Archer, Brian Jordan, Terrance Mathis and Ray Buchanan. Additional special guests from the Atlanta community that participated include Georgia Tech football head coach Paul Johnson and former Atlanta Braves players Phil Niekro, Otis Nixon and Greg McMichael.

Attendees of the golf tournament were invited to participate in a silent auction, with all proceeds benefitting Operation Homefront, which featured items such as an autographed photograph of actor Kiefer Sutherland, a two-night stay at cottage in Highlands, North Carolina, an authentic signed Atlanta Hawks basketball by Dominique Wilkins, an authentic retro Atlanta Falcons helmet signed by Deion Sanders, a signed Atlanta Braves Brian McCann baseball bat and much more.

"This is an event that I and the rest of my staff look forward to every year. This year especially has been tough for us all and this is a great way for us to take a break to come out to play golf and show our support for a commendable organization such as Operation Homefront," said Head Coach Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons. "We have a long-standing relationship with Verizon Wireless and always look forward to teaming up with them to give back to the community."

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