With the National Guard supporting the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike series and also the Jordan Motorsports team of Jake Zemke, Brett McCormick and Aaron Yates, AMA Pro Racing is announcing their support of the Cell Phones for Soldiers program.
Cell Phones for Soldiers raises money through the collection of gently used mobile phones and a drop-off box will be located at the National Guard Jordan Motorsports trailer for the remaining five AMA Pro Road racing events in 2010.
Cell Phones for Soldiers, a non-profit organization started in 2004 by 12- and 13-year-old siblings Robbie and Brittany Bergquist with just $21 of their own money, raises funds through the collection of gently used mobile phones, which are then refurbished or recycled. Each year, more than 130 million cell phones are decommissioned in the United States alone.
Once collected, the phones are processed by ReCellular, the world's largest recycler of used mobile devices, and the phones are either refurbished and sold, or recycled under strict EPA guidelines. Cell Phones for Soldiers then utilizes the money from reselling the devices to purchase pre-paid calling cards to benefit the more than 200,000 troops stationed at military bases around the world. Over the last six years, Cell Phones for Soldiers has provided more than 1 million pre-paid calling cards and 60 million minutes of calling time to soldiers overseas.
Robbie and Brittany Bergquist began Cell Phones for Soldiers after they saw a news story on television about a soldier stationed overseas who had run up a $7,000 phone bill by calling his family. Robbie and Brittany took $21 out of their piggy banks and suggested that their friends donate their snack money to help the soldier.
Fans not able to attend a race can visit www.CellPhonesForSoldiers.com for information on how to donate at one of 3,000 collection points nationwide or to download a pre-paid, pre-addressed mailing label.
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.