Verizon Wireless How Sweet The Sound Competition Names Acme Missionary Baptist Church Chicago-Area's Best Church Choir

Verizon Wireless How Sweet The Sound Competition Names Acme Missionary Baptist Church Chicago-Area's Best Church Choir

Choir to Compete for National Title in Atlanta

Hosts and Judges Included Award-Winning Gospel Artists -- Donald Lawrence, Smokie Norful and Hezekiah Walker

CHICAGO, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Acme Missionary Baptist Church was named overall best church choir in Chicago during the regional competition of Verizon Wireless' How Sweet The Sound(SM) tour held on Sept. 29 at the United Center. Acme Missionary Baptist Church will advance to perform in the grand finale on Nov. 8 in Atlanta to compete for a cash prize of up to $30,000 and the title of best church choir in America.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080930/NY35950 )

The Chicago-area semi-finalist winners include:
-- V CAST People's Choice Award: Acme Hidden List Missionary
Hidden List Baptist Hidden List Church (Chicago)
-- Small Category Winner: Faith Hidden List Temple Hidden
List Church of God in Christ (Evanston, Ill.)
-- Large Category Winner: Acme Hidden List Missionary
Hidden List Baptist Hidden List Church (Chicago)

Chicago is the sixth stop along the How Sweet The Sound tour. At the grand finale event in Atlanta, the overall semi-finalist winners from 11 cities will compete for the grand prize. GRAMMY(R)-winning songwriter, producer, arranger and music director, Donald Lawrence, serves as tour emcee and, at the finale, he will be joined by Marvin Sapp, Hezekiah Walker and other guest celebrity judges.

Verizon Wireless' How Sweet The Sound tour continues in the following U.S. cities:

-- October 2: Memphis, Tenn. (FedExForum)
-- October 6: Houston (Toyota Hidden List Center)
-- October 10: Oakland, Calif. (ORACLE Arena)
-- October 13: Los Angeles (LA Memorial Sports Arena)
-- November 8: How Sweet The Sound Finale Concert in Atlanta (Philips
Arena)

Music fans planning to watch their favorite choirs compete during this event are encouraged to bring their no-longer-used wireless phones and donate them to the Verizon Wireless HopeLine(R) program. Phones will be collected at booths set up at different locations throughout the concert venues.

HopeLine is Verizon Wireless' exclusive phone recycling and reuse program that collects no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from any wireless service provider to benefit victims of domestic violence. Proceeds from the HopeLine program are used to provide wireless phones and cash grants to local shelters and non-profit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention and awareness. Since 2001, HopeLine has collected more than 5 million phones and awarded more than $5 million in cash grants to domestic violence agencies and organizations throughout the country.

Those who cannot make it to the show can drop off their used wireless phones, batteries and accessories at any Verizon Wireless Communications Store at any time of the year.

For more information about Verizon Wireless and the HopeLine program, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline. For more information about How Sweet The Sound, visit www.howsweetthesound.com.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 68.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 70,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Broadcast-quality B-Roll featuring 2008 How Sweet The
Sound coverage is available online. Log on to Verizon Wireless' Multimedia
Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia to preview and request video
segments, which can be received in newsrooms digitally or by tape.
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Source: Verizon Wireless

CONTACT: Carolyn Schamberger, Verizon Wireless, +1-847-204-4282,
Carolyn.Schamberger1@verizonwireless.com; Samantha Kane, +1-212-373-6132,
Samantha.Kane@pmkhbh.com

Web Site: http://www.howsweetthesound.com/
http://www.verizonwireless.com/
http://www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline
http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/094251.html

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