Justin Blanford, 17, decided to donate 36 of his 87 cell phones to Verizon’s Cell Phones for Soldiers program. Justin is a senior at Rocky Mount Preparatory School in Rocky Mount, NC. 6 of 87 cell phones? And all working? Amazing! Justin started collecting cell phones in 2003 at garage sales and thrift stores and developed a fascination for how they work.
High School Student Donates Cell Phone Collection to Soldiers
“If he gets a phone and sees the screen is cracked, he can replace it with one from another phone,” Kim Blanford (Justin’s father) said. “If a phone doesn’t work, he rewires it so that it does.” He often cannibalizes several cell phones to repair the best of the lot.
“I saw the Verizon commercials about donating phones to soldiers and decided I could help,” Justin said. Justin’s father, Kim, was in the Coast Guard for the first 10 years of Justin’s life so Justin knows just how important communication between soldiers and their families can be. Justin said his father’s calls home, though few and far between, kept the family knowing he was alive and well. Justin is pleased to be part of a program that will help other families experience similar reassurance.
Until Justin’s donation, Verizon reported the largest private donation was 12 cell phones. Justin tripled that figure with his donations of 36 cell phones.
“If I can give 36 cell phones to the military to give to soldiers overseas, that would be helping 36 families across the U.S,” Blanford said.
How many of us have old cell phones lying around? I personally have at least 3. I am inspired to clear the memory and donate them. What about you?
