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Youth Town Hall with the Greensboro Four: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Woolworth Lunch Counter Student Sit-Ins Live Webcast - February 4, 2010, 1:30–3:00 p.m.

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History is offering a remarkable living history experience! The three surviving members of the Greensboro Four, Jibreel Khazan (formerly Ezell Blair, Jr.), Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil, will participate in an oral history about their bold action that ignited student involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Watch for more details on Thinkfinity.org.

PIONEERS TAKE TIME TO THANK TROOPS AT THEIR TRAINING SESSION:

Below is a link to a News Channel 8 video on the Verizon Pioneers collecting care packages for U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. The Verizon Pioneers collected the items during a training session on Friday in Reston, Va.

Brian Malina pitched the story to local media. News Channel 8 and FiOS 1 covered the event.

Volunteers Put Together Care Packages for Service Members Abroad

posted 6:52 pm Fri November 06, 2009 - RESTON, Va.

from NewsChannel 8 - http://www.news8.net/news/stories/1109/675879.html

A group of volunteers took some time Friday to put together care packages for U.S. service members in Afghanistan and Iraq. They said it felt great to give back to the military community, especially after the horrifying events at Fort Hood.

"When you're over there basically all you think of is home," said David Bell, a volunteer.
The group volunteers from Verizon Telecom Pioneers made nearly 200 care packages for U.S. service members containing toothpaste, floss, shaving equipment and things like that and of course a lot of food items, said Stephen Kohn (vice-president) of Verizon Telecom Pioneers. The packages also include letters from school children and every letter has a personal touch. "You can see reflected in their letters admiration for keeping us safe," said Leni Herr, a volunteer.

David Bell served in desert storm with the Marines and still remembers opening each care package. "I actually have all the letters that I got when I was over there," he said.

As the volunteers packed up boxes, they learned more about what happened at Fort Hood. "I'm a veteran and I can't imagine that happening on a base I was on," said Philip Hahn, a volunteer.
Bell says seeing the country rally around the victims at Fort Hood and service members abroad makes Friday feel like the day after September 11, 2001.
"This is another attack on U.S. citizens but this is an attack on soldiers and as a Marine that hits kind of hard," he said.
Bell hopes the care packages send a message to the troops of thanks and support. "It kind of gives you an extra kick when you're serving your country," he said.

Brian Malina

Verizon Media Relations

908-559-6434

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/brianmalina

Get news about Verizon @ http://newscenter.verizon.com/