The Arizona Builders Alliance participated in a cell phone drive to donate minutes to soldiers overseas. A total of 1,015 cell phones were collected by more than 100 ABA member companies between February and May of this year.

The phones were donated to Cell Phones for Soldiers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing cost-free communication services to active-duty military members and veterans. They collect cell phones and sell them to recycling firms, and use those dollars to buy calling cards for soldiers overseas. For every two phones collected, one-hour of calling time is donated.

Due to the volume of phones collected by ABA members:

• 507.5 hours of calling time for soldiers overseas were donated
• 30,450 minutes of calling time for soldiers overseas were donated

Kerwin Kortman, director of Business Development of Kortman Electric, was instrumental in the success of the cell phone drive, acting as the liaison between the ABA and Cell Phones for Soldiers, promoting, sorting and packing the phones for delivery to Cell Phones for Soldiers, personally.

Kortman said, “Thank you to all who have donated to the 2015 cell phone drive. Each year is a reminder to me that the people in the construction industry have the biggest and most generous hearts that I have ever seen. Your donation makes a difference.”

The ABA collects cell phones for the drive all year-long, with a special emphasis on collection between February and May. The cell phone drive was discovered and is managed by the ABA's Community Service Board, chaired by Josh Marriott of McCarthy Building Companies. The Community Service Board also manages the ABA's backpack drive and toy drive.

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