Oldsmar, Fla., Couple Win $10,000 Grand Prize in the Verizon 'Easy Pay Go Paper Free Billing Sweepstakes'

For Donna and Joseph Klenovich of Oldsmar, going green was a wise choice, not only for the environment but for their bank account as well.

The Klenoviches were selected as the grand-prize winner of the Verizon Easy Pay Go Paper Free Billing Sweepstakes and Instant Win Game, and received $10,000.  James Gowen, Verizon vice president and chief sustainability officer, presented Joe Klenovich with an "electronic check," delivered over a tablet and electronically deposited in the Klenoviches' bank account.

The presentation took place during a Green Expo event Thursday (April 26) at Verizon's IT building on Telecom Parkway in Temple Terrace.

"Environmental stewardship is a key priority at Verizon, and this sweepstakes is an incentive we use to engage our customers to support our sustainability initiatives," said Gowen.  "Paper free billing is an easy way to escape the hassles of a paper bill and positively impact the environment. Since 2007, electronic bills have prevented the use of tons of paper."

Verizon launched the third national Easy Pay Go Paper Free Sweepstakes in June 2011 to encourage its customers to enroll in online, paper free billing and auto pay services.  Verizon customers who were enrolled in paper free billing during the campaign earned one sweepstakes entry and could earn an additional entry by setting up auto pay with their bank accounts.

In addition to the $10,000 grand prize, entrants also were eligible to win instant prizes that included a 55-inch 3D HDTV, MacBook(r) notebooks, a Wi-Fi Built-In Blu-ray Home Theater System, a 32-inch LCD HDTV, eco kits, water bottles and eco totes.

The Klenoviches were selected from more than 800,000 sweepstakes entries submitted by Verizon residential customers across the country who enrolled in paper free billing between June and December 2011.

For the past three years, Verizon has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, which lists North America's leading companies as measured by governance, social and environmental performance.  For more information on Verizon's environmental initiatives, visit www.verizon.com/sustainability.  Customers interested in signing up for paper free billing can visit www.myverizon.com

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 93 million retail customers 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 192,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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