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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, North Carolina -- March 16, 2007 --
Lenovo will donate ThinkPad notebooks and Lenovo laptops to the
Freedom Calls Foundation, a national non-profit group based in
New Jersey that operates a satellite network for military camps
in Iraq. The FCF sites provide video conferencing, online access
and phone operations, free of charge that enable U.S. troops on
active duty in Iraq to interact with their families and friends
back home.
Lenovo PCs will be used at three FCF sites for long-distance
email and videoconferencing via satellite. The FCF broadcasts
thousands of video conferences each month, and military personnel
have free access to all services at FCF sites in Camp Taji, Al
Asad Airforce Base, and Camp Fallujah. Recently the FCF's
satellite network enabled a group of troops to view a special
symphony concert, a soldier to propose to his girlfriend in Iowa,
and another soldier to view the birth of his first child in North
Dakota.
"We're honored to support this great foundation that gives our
troops overseas the access to Lenovo PCs," said Jeff Carlisle,
vice president of Government Relations at Lenovo. "The work that
the Freedom Calls Foundation has done demonstrates how vital it
is for everyone to support our troops in their own innovative
way."
The FCF is authorized by the Secretary of the Army and the
Commandant of the Marines to provide communications services to
the troops and their families, and recently received a
commendation from President George W. Bush and the Army for its
ongoing efforts.
"The generous support of Lenovo is vital to our mission," said
Kathryn Hudacek, director of development at the Freedom Calls
Foundation. "The durable PCs from Lenovo will be used 24/7 by
the troops and will be able to stand up to the harsh
environmental conditions at the Freedom Calls Centers situated at
Army and Marine camps in Iraq."
Lenovo's PC donation to the FCF is part of the company's global
efforts to give back to the community using its technology
innovations. For example, through its work with the National
Basketball Association, Lenovo is joining forces with NBA players
and legends on special projects that encourage social
entrepreneurship. This year, Lenovo marked its first initiative
with NBA Cares with the donation of Lenovo-branded notebook PCs
to the new NBA Cares Learn & Play Center. This is the first of
10 centers that Lenovo will support worldwide. These centers are
a part of the NBA Cares Legacy Projects throughout the US, Asia,
Europe and Africa.
The FCF is currently looking to open a new site at Al Taqaddum in
Iraq, and another in Afghanistan.
About Freedom Calls Foundation
The Freedom Calls Foundation, a 501(c)3 Public Charity, was
founded by executive director John Harlow in 2003 after learning
about the high expenses incurred by troops when calling home from
Iraq. Now in its fourth year of operation, the Foundation
provides services to more than 30,000 Soldiers, Marines and
Airmen free of charge 24 hours per day. The Army has requested
that the foundation install eight additional facilities in Iraq
and two in Afghanistan in the coming months. National volunteer
host sites complete more than 1,500 enterprise class video
conferences from homes, hospitals, churches and schools every
month. The Freedom Calls Foundation receives no money from the
government and is supported solely by donations from individuals
and corporate citizens. Donations can be securely made on the
foundation's Web site http://www.freedomcalls.org/
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