"I was on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno talking about the miracles of technology, one of which was a Freeplay wind-up radio. No batteries, you could even power it with the sun - a marvellous invention that, had it existed during the cold war, could have brought the Soviet Union to its knees. Battery-less radio! I saw immediately the impact such a radio could have on impoverished peoples in Africa and the world. The beauty of the Freeplay Foundation (now Lifeline Energy) is the radio itself; you wind it up and listen."

Two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks has served as Lifeline Energy’s American Ambassador since 2003. In January 2008, he hosted an auction for Lifeline Energy on eBay, creating the video above shown on YouTube and autographing ten Lifeline radios. The auction enabled Lifeline Energy to provide more than 9,000 children with radio education.

"The first time I held the radio," Tom said, " I felt like I was carrying all the promise of the modern world in my hand. Information can be sent and received, bypassing despots and tyrants. Voices of freedom can be heard and the creation of artists can be enjoyed anywhere radio waves can reach. All by winding up this little box. That is extraordinary. The Lifeline radio can change the world one person, one house, one village at a time."

Tom also is the primary funder behind the development of the Lifelights. His generosity has allowed Lifeline Energy to conduct needs assessments, surveys, and to undertake field trials. Further research and development is continuing, with rigorous testing of progressive prototypes and continually refined design features.

Read more about Tom Hanks's support for Lifeline Energy on our blog.

Check out Lifeline Energy's videos on Tom Hanks' official MySpace page.