Sheryl Sellaway
Verizon Wireless   678-339-5564
Sheryl.Sellaway@verizonwireless.com

Alabama’s First Public Awareness Campaign Concerning Domestic Violence

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Today, Verizon Wireless unveiled their Alabama No Excuse campaign featuring three Alabama head football coaches: Auburn University’s Coach Tommy Tuberville, The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Coach Neil Callaway and Birmingham Southern College’s Coach Joey Jones. These coaches will be featured in No Excuse TV and radio public service announcements, as well as print and outdoor communications.

Jeff Mango, President of the Alabama/Georgia Region for Verizon Wireless, presented the campaign to a luncheon audience of over 300 at the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s Governor’s Conference on Domestic Violence.

“The purpose of this campaign is to capture the attention of men from all age groups,” said Mango. “It will be Alabama’s first comprehensive public awareness campaign working to influence behaviors regarding domestic violence here in Alabama.”

No Excuse is sponsored by Verizon Wireless with the support of Lamar Outdoor and o2 ideas. It will run statewide throughout the month of October, which is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The creative design of the No Excuse campaign was crafted around a large coach’s blackboard, with over 2,000 chalk X’s drawn to represent the number of domestic violence offenses reported in Alabama last year. These offenses include 33 homicides, 246 rapes and 1,969 aggravated assaults.

The No Excuse campaign also includes a call-to-action around a new website www.noexcuseal.com, which will provide dozens of tips about how to eradicate domestic violence as well as how to get involved in abuse prevention.

Coach Joey Jones of the Birmingham Southern Panthers said that the No Excuse Campaign will challenge how Alabamians think about men’s physical abuse toward women create a mindset that domestic abuse is not acceptable and inspire leadership by empowering Alabamians with concrete ways to affect change in their respective communities.

“The campaign will inform and serve as a catalyst for men to recognize that there is No Excuse for them to commit domestic abuse, but, rather, that they can take deliberate action to prevent domestic violence,” said Jones.

Alabama’s domestic violence rate is one of the highest in the nation. At least 12% of both homicides and violent crimes in the state are directly related to domestic violence, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

“Domestic violence prevention is a cause that I want to support,” said Tommy Tuberville, head football coach of the Auburn Tigers. “Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women in the United States, and one third of all women in this country will experience some form of violence in her lifetime.”

Verizon Wireless is a recognized corporate leader for its commitment to preventing domestic violence and raising awareness of the issue.  The company’s HopeLine® program focuses on putting wireless products and services to work to prevent domestic violence.  Phones, which are collected in every Verizon Wireless Communications Store across Alabama and nationwide, are refurbished or recycled, and funds are used to purchase new wireless phones with airtime for victims or used to fund prevention and awareness programs.

“No Excuse is an example of how Verizon Wireless is working to stop the cycle of violence in our communities, and HopeLine® provides a proactive approach to helping those affected by domestic violence,” said Mango.

Since HopeLine®’s launch in 2001, Verizon Wireless has collected more than 4 million phones and awarded nearly $4 million in cash grants to domestic violence agencies and organizations throughout the country. The HopeLine® program has also distributed more than 40,000 phones with airtime and other features valued at more than $10 million to be used by victims of domestic violence.

For more information concerning the No Excuse campaign visit www.noexcuseal.com.

*Media Note: If you have not received the No Excuse TV or radio PSA via DG/Fast Channel, please contact Charlene Meeks at (205) 949-9596 or e-mail at charlenem@o2ideas.com.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 62.1 million customers. The largest U.S. wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 67,000 employees nationwide. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at 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.

About the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence
The Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ACADV) is a nonprofit organization established in 1978 as a network of shelters for battered women and their children. In 1984, ACADV was incorporated as a 501 (c) (3) organization. Currently, there are 19 member programs, which serve the 67 counties in Alabama.