Lexington County Police Donate 300 Cell Phones for Soldiers

The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Corrections and Lake Murray ABATE donated 300 cell phones and a check in the amount of $200 on Friday, Sept. 27, to Bob and Gail Berquist, who serve as the directors of Cell Phones for Soldiers.

Earlier this month, 7,753 used cell phones and 2,300 used chargers were donated to Cell Phones for Soldiers, Sheriff James R. Metts said. 

Cell Phones for Soldiers sells used cell phones and telephone accessories to a recycling company and utilizes the proceeds to buy pre-paid telephone calling cards that are issued to members of the United States armed forces who are serving our nation outside the United States.

Since 2010, the Sheriff’s Department in partnership with the Corrections Department and Lake Murray ABATE has donated more than 25,000 cell phones and accessories to Cell Phones for Soldiers. 

As a result of the donation, Cell Phones for Soldiers provided more than 828,000 minutes of free telephone talk time to members of the United States armed forces who are deployed overseas. Telephone minutes from the sale of cell phones that the Sheriff’s Department donates are provided to members of the armed forces from the Midlands.

Bob and Gail Berquist on Friday presented certificates of appreciation to the Sheriff’s Department, state Department of Corrections and Sgt. David Amick, who coordinated the participation of the Sheriff’s Department in efforts to collect cellular telephones for donation to Cell Phones for Soldiers, Metts said.

“We are honored to be here. We rely upon people like you to promote our organization,” Bob Berquist said. “All of you are angels for the soldiers who are protecting us. The phone cards give the soldiers a little bit of heaven in the middle of war.”

The children of Bob and Gail Berquist, Brittany and Robbie, founded Cell Phones for Soldiers in 2004 after learning that a soldier had a cellular telephone bill for $8,000 for calls that the soldier made while deployed overseas, Gail Berquist said. Since 2004, Cell Phones for Soldiers has provided members of the armed forces with 192 million minutes of free talk time and recycled more than 11 million cell phones.