NORWELL, Mass., Nov. 6,2008
More than 150,000 troops are serving overseas and are away from their families. Cell Phones for Soldiers, and Cochran Funeral Homes are calI]ng on all Americans to support for these brave men and women by donating your unused cell phones. Cell Phones for Soldiers hopes to collect over 50,000 cell phones this year to help keep troops connected with their families -
Cover the past few years we have been amazed by the generosity of others. But! we have also seen

the need to support our troops continue. says Brittany Bergquist Cell Phones for Soldiers co-founder. ‘It is easy for Americans to make a small sacrifice of support by donating their unused cell phones, and providing families with a much-needed connection to their loved ones overseas.

Local residents can support the collection drive by donating their phones at any Cochran Funeral Homes location, including:

32 Hospital Street, Blairsville

Hwy. 76 and Rice Street, 1-liawassee

3911 Hwy. 515, Blue Ridge

Hwy. 5 South, McCaysville

4474 Hwy. 54 East, Murphy, North Carolina

We’re proud to show our support for U.S. soldiers, and to contribute to a worthy cause like Cell Phones for Soldiers,~! says Tam] Cochran, whose son-in-law, Sgt. Brandon Burkhead, is serving in Iraq.

Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded by teenagers Robbie and Briffany Bergquist from Norwell, Mass., with $21 of their own money. Since then, the registered SOloS non-profit organization has raised almost $1 million in donations and distributed more than 500,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas.