To honor Memorial Day, Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful will be collecting cell phones for soldiers at its recycle center in Rockford on Tuesday, May 22 and on Saturday, May 26, and the recycle center in Roscoe on Saturday, May 26 in partnership with “Cell Phones for Soldiers,” a national campaign. Cell Phones for Soldiers began in 2004 as the idea of two patriotic kids, Robbie and Brittany Bergquist, who wanted to give back to the men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting us each and every day. To date the charity has provided more than 300 million “Minutes that Matter” to our troops serving around the world and it continues “Helping Heroes Home” via emergency funds that so far has assisted more than 3,100 veterans and their families.
The powerful gift of a cell phone, any make, model or condition, will be greatly appreciated and will truly help the men and women in the military. This “gift” also has another incredible benefit: it keeps consumer electronics from being discarded in ways that can harm the environment. Every year in the United States, people improperly discard 3 million tons of electronic waste, which contains PCBs, cadmium, mercury and lead – substances that are toxic and can even be carcinogenic! If mismanaged, those substances can leach into soil, endangering our precious ecosystem and potentially contaminating our food and water supply.
Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful’s Mission is to improve our environment through education, public awareness and community involvement. The Recycling Center in Rockford is located at 4665 Hydraulic Road, open Tuesdays from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 12 noon; and in Roscoe at 13125 North 2nd Street, open Saturdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. For other information about Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, visit www.knib.org, email bev@knib.org, or call 815-637-1343. For more information about Cell Phones for Soldiers, visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com