ORANGEBURG, NY — Like most people, Catherine Recupero bought a wireless phone for safety and convenience—to keep in touch with her elderly mother and her home care attendant whenever she needed to leave their home. The Bronx, NY, resident had no idea how grateful she would be to have the phone, until the day she received an urgent call to return to her mother's bedside.
"When I received the call saying my mother's health had taken a turn for the worse, I made it home in less than 10 minutes" Recupero said. "I was able to hold my mother and speak to her during the next one and a half hours before she passed away in my arms. Had it not been for my wireless phone, I would have missed the precious final hour of my mother's life."
To mark Wireless Safety Week (May 21- 28, 2001), Verizon Wireless today announced that Recupero is one of three winners selected in the company's "Wireless at Work for Safety" Contest. Each winner has received a $250 service credit which can be used toward all wireless products and services billed to their Verizon Wireless account. The two other winners are Rissa Privitera of Manorville, NY and Auryn Santiago of Newark, NJ.
"The stories told by all three contest winners were moving examples of how a wireless phone can come to the aid of a person in a time of need and truly make a difference," said Charles Hand, president of Verizon Wireless' New York Metro Region. "Their stories bring to life how we've come to rely on wireless technology for safety, for helping others and for staying in touch with loved ones."
The winners were chosen from more than 450 entries received via e-mail and U.S. mail. The contest was announced in customer bills and open to all Verizon Wireless customers in the New York Metro Region which includes northern New Jersey, New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley. Another contest will be announced in late June.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the U.S. with more than 27 million wireless voice and data customers. The coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the combination of the U.S. wireless businesses of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD), including Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular, GTE Wireless and PrimeCo Personal Communications. Verizon Wireless has a footprint covering more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, 49 of the top 50 and 96 of the top 100 U.S. markets. The company, headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, is 40,000 employees strong. Reporters and editors can find more information about the company on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com.
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