Think the Olympics is just fun and games? Think again using Verizon Thinkfinity. From the physics of a snowboarder's flips, the engineering of a luger's sled, or the biochemical makeup of a speed skater's pre- race meal, science plays a big part in the Olympic Games. Think preparing your household budget is challenging? The price tag of hosting the Winter Games is $10M; talk to your kids about budgeting, costs, revenues and value. Think your child would enjoy exploring artifacts from Olympic countries? Visit an online exhibition from the National Museum of American History and introduce your family to the pioneering men and women who dominated their sports; championed their country, race, or sex; and helped others to achieve. Find more by searching Thinkfinity using key word "Olympics."

Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Staff - Getty Images

The national Pioneer's scholarship program, which is open to Pioneer family members, was established to help provide resources to prepare young citizens to live productive and successful lives. This one-time award of $1,000 is payable to an accredited post- secondary institution, skill/training center, or trade school. These funds are provided to assist students with tuition, required registration, or other fees. The scholarship is open to any high school senior related to a Pioneers member. It is intended to recognize students who are involved in community service, school and leadership activities and academic achievement. Applications are being accepted now for this annual scholarship. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2010. For more information, visit the Pioneer website.

For the third consecutive year, Verizon Wireless collected more than 1 million no-longer-used wireless phones through its HopeLine® phone recycling and reuse program, keeping them out of landfills and turning them into support for domestic violence survivors. These donations enabled HopeLine to distribute nearly 23,000 phones with 69 million free minutes of service to almost 600 shelters nationwide for use by clients and award $1.6 million in cash grants to domestic violence prevention and awareness programs.

Exclusive to Verizon Wireless, HopeLine accepts no- longer-used wireless phones and equipment in any condition from any service provider. The phones are either refurbished or recycled in an environmentally sound way. Proceeds are used to provide wireless phones with free airtime to survivors and to contribute grants to further the efforts of non-profit domestic violence shelters and prevention programs across the country. Since 2001, HopeLine has collected more than 6.7 million phones; awarded more than $7.9 million in cash grants to prevention and awareness programs nationwide; and donated more than 90,000 HopeLine phones with 300 million minutes of airtime to victims, survivors and domestic violence organizations. Learn more...

The Life Member Spotlight is on...
Carol Ruth of the L.H. Kinnard Chapter

Beginning employment at Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania in 1952 and retiring in 1988, Carol Ruth has now served as a Pioneer for more than 40 years. Carol started with volunteer support in doing what she calls "little jobs." Carol chaperoned guests to their seats in the broadcasting box for the Disney On Ice shows hosted by the Tri-County Association for the Blind. Carol helped staff the cloakroom at Hershey Lodge for Spina Bifida events and organized orders for the American Cancer Society Annual Daffodil Days fundraiser. She also managed the set up of Bingo Parties at Morrison Towers for Seniors in downtown Harrisburg.

From 1998-2003, Carol and her husband, Dick, edited the Capital Life Member newsletter. For eight years, Carol managed the Pioneer refreshment stand at the annual Big 33 games picnics. For about 20 years, Carol has been helping create Hug-A-Bears for local hospitals, and fire and police departments.

In 2005, Carol and Dick decided to start a Capital Club Operation Shoebox to send weekly care packages to the military. Even after losing Dick in January 2009, Carol has continued this initiative. Carol and her volunteers have mailed more than 1,300 packages to our armed forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and other locations. In August 2008, Carol was presented with the Pioneer of the Month award for her long- standing heart of volunteerism.

The Verizon Pioneers are proud to announce that $50,000 from the Verizon Foundation Grant will be allocated via competitive grants that support one of the Verizon Foundation's four core initiatives: Domestic Violence Awareness, Education, Literacy, and Internet Safety. One $10,000 grant with a technology component will be awarded along with eight $5,000 grants, four with and four without technology components.

Verizon Pioneer chapters (including councils and clubs) may submit more than one application. A chapter (including its councils and clubs) can win a maximum of two grants in 2010. Grants will be awarded at the V/F/F/T Face to Face Meeting in Reston, Va., June 2010. Learn more...

Join the Maryland Pioneers at Hershey Park for the chapter's 18th Annual Pioneer Day Sunday, April 25 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tickets are $23. Children two and under receive free admittance. The park will be closed to the public and parking is free. An All-You- Can-Eat Picnic will be served from 12 - 3 p.m. for $16 for adults and $11 for children 3-8. Special lodging rates are available at Best Western Inn Hershey and Quality Inn & Suites. Beginning April 12, the ticket price will increase to $26. Lunch tickets will not be sold after April 11. Learn more...

Dear Andrea and friends,

Thank you for the generous and kind donation of dictionaries for our children in Burundi and Rwanda. They were elated to receive these!

The director of Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (CHABHA), Susanna Grannis, brought half of them to associations in Burundi. I used the rest to stock the shelves of a new library we created in resource room for the children. I learned while I was there, that Rwanda is a country with very few books. In fact, without your donation of dictionaries, many of these children may never lay hands on a dictionary, let alone have the opportunity to learn from it on a consistent basis. Thank you for this wonderful gift that will have a lasting impact on the lives on the children we serve.

I'd like to share with you a brief story of an experience I had while I was there. Prudence, a boy who is HIV positive, and an orphan, was in the library helping me organize the books. I had spent that entire day with him and was so impressed with his hard work and diligence. When I was tired, he continued to work. His enthusiasm was something amazing to behold! At the end of our time together, I suggested that he take a dictionary home for him to use and refer to. After all, I thought, he's been a major help in the development of the library. He looked up at me, from the pile of dictionaries, and said, "No, the dictionaries should remain here. This way, all the children will have access to them. I can come each day and use it and put it back. This is the best way."

I was overwhelmed by his kindness and generosity. I learned so much from these remarkable young people.

In peace and gratitude,
Beth DeAngelis
Board of Directors
Children Affected by HIV/AIDS
www.chabha.org

Andrea Freeman is the president of the Troy Life Member Club of the Mountain Valley Empire State Chapter in New York.

P.O. Box 4406 . Salem, MA 01970

Scholarship Deadline Feb. 28

The national Pioneer's scholarship program, which is open to Pioneer family members, was established to help provide resources to prepare young citizens to live productive and successful lives. This one-time award of $1,000 is payable to an accredited post- secondary institution, skill/training center, or trade school. These funds are provided to assist students with tuition, required registration, or other fees. The scholarship is open to any high school senior related to a Pioneers member. It is intended to recognize students who are involved in community service, school and leadership activities and academic achievement. Applications are being accepted now for this annual scholarship. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2010. For more information, visit the Pioneer website.

HopeLine performs a Hat Trick

For the third consecutive year, Verizon Wireless collected more than 1 million no-longer-used wireless phones through its HopeLine® phone recycling and reuse program, keeping them out of landfills and turning them into support for domestic violence survivors. These donations enabled HopeLine to distribute nearly 23,000 phones with 69 million free minutes of service to almost 600 shelters nationwide for use by clients and award $1.6 million in cash grants to domestic violence prevention and awareness programs. Exclusive to Verizon Wireless, HopeLine accepts no- longer-used wireless phones and equipment in any condition from any service provider. The phones are either refurbished or recycled in an environmentally sound way. Proceeds are used to provide wireless phones with free airtime to survivors and to contribute grants to further the efforts of non-profit domestic violence shelters and prevention programs across the country. Since 2001, HopeLine has collected more than 6.7 million phones; awarded more than $7.9 million in cash grants to prevention and awareness programs nationwide; and donated more than 90,000 HopeLine phones with 300 million minutes of airtime to victims, survivors and domestic violence organizations. Learn more...

Life Member Spotlight

The Life Member Spotlight is on... Carol Ruth of the L.H. Kinnard Chapter Beginning employment at Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania in 1952 and retiring in 1988, Carol Ruth has now served as a Pioneer for more than 40 years. Carol started with volunteer support in doing what she calls "little jobs." Carol chaperoned guests to their seats in the broadcasting box for the Disney On Ice shows hosted by the Tri-County Association for the Blind. Carol helped staff the cloakroom at Hershey Lodge for Spina Bifida events and organized orders for the American Cancer Society Annual Daffodil Days fundraiser. She also managed the set up of Bingo Parties at Morrison Towers for Seniors in downtown Harrisburg. From 1998-2003, Carol and her husband, Dick, edited the Capital Life Member newsletter. For eight years, Carol managed the Pioneer refreshment stand at the annual Big 33 games picnics. For about 20 years, Carol has been helping create Hug-A-Bears for local hospitals, and fire and police departments. In 2005, Carol and Dick decided to start a Capital Club Operation Shoebox to send weekly care packages to the military. Even after losing Dick in January 2009, Carol has continued this initiative. Carol and her volunteers have mailed more than 1,300 packages to our armed forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and other locations. In August 2008, Carol was presented with the Pioneer of the Month award for her long- standing heart of volunteerism.

Competitive Grants deadline April 15

The Verizon Pioneers are proud to announce that $50,000 from the Verizon Foundation Grant will be allocated via competitive grants that support one of the Verizon Foundation's four core initiatives: Domestic Violence Awareness, Education, Literacy, and Internet Safety. One $10,000 grant with a technology component will be awarded along with eight $5,000 grants, four with and four without technology components. Verizon Pioneer chapters (including councils and clubs) may submit more than one application. A chapter (including its councils and clubs) can win a maximum of two grants in 2010. Grants will be awarded at the V/F/F/T Face to Face Meeting in Reston, Va., June 2010. Learn more...

Pioneer Day at Hershey Park

Join the Maryland Pioneers at Hershey Park for the chapter's 18th Annual Pioneer Day Sunday, April 25 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tickets are $23. Children two and under receive free admittance. The park will be closed to the public and parking is free. An All-You- Can-Eat Picnic will be served from 12 - 3 p.m. for $16 for adults and $11 for children 3-8. Special lodging rates are available at Best Western Inn Hershey and Quality Inn & Suites. Beginning April 12, the ticket price will increase to $26. Lunch tickets will not be sold after April 11. Learn more...

Thank you!

Dear Andrea and friends, Thank you for the generous and kind donation of dictionaries for our children in Burundi and Rwanda. They were elated to receive these! The director of Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (CHABHA), Susanna Grannis, brought half of them to associations in Burundi. I used the rest to stock the shelves of a new library we created in resource room for the children. I learned while I was there, that Rwanda is a country with very few books. In fact, without your donation of dictionaries, many of these children may never lay hands on a dictionary, let alone have the opportunity to learn from it on a consistent basis. Thank you for this wonderful gift that will have a lasting impact on the lives on the children we serve. I'd like to share with you a brief story of an experience I had while I was there. Prudence, a boy who is HIV positive, and an orphan, was in the library helping me organize the books. I had spent that entire day with him and was so impressed with his hard work and diligence. When I was tired, he continued to work. His enthusiasm was something amazing to behold! At the end of our time together, I suggested that he take a dictionary home for him to use and refer to. After all, I thought, he's been a major help in the development of the library. He looked up at me, from the pile of dictionaries, and said, "No, the dictionaries should remain here. This way, all the children will have access to them. I can come each day and use it and put it back. This is the best way." I was overwhelmed by his kindness and generosity. I learned so much from these remarkable young people. In peace and gratitude, Beth DeAngelis Board of Directors Children Affected by HIV/AIDS www.chabha.org Andrea Freeman is the president of the Troy Life Member Club of the Mountain Valley Empire State Chapter in New York.