Glad Products Company Helps Fight Pediatric Cancer With Cookies

OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- This holiday season, three of America's favorite actors will put down their scripts and pick up a spatula for a good cause. TV and film star Joan Cusack, actress Jayma Mays of "Glee" and Peter Facinelli of The Twilight Saga will compete against each other to sell the most cookies in an effort to raise money for pediatric cancer research.  The Celebrity Cookie Challenge online bake sale is sponsored by The Glad Products Company to support Cookies For Kids' Cancer™, a non-profit organization that raises money for research for new and improved treatments for pediatric cancer through bake sales and online cookie sales.  Pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children in the United States, yet approximately half of the drugs used to treat children with cancer are at least 20 years old.(1)

The three actors have begun rallying support online by encouraging visits to the Glad to Give™  Facebook page, where fans can join their teams by "liking" them.  Joining a team allows participants to receive updates about celebrity activities surrounding the Celebrity Cookie Challenge and display their team spirit by embedding a celebrity team badge on their personal website or blog. 

In addition, each celebrity will host a live stream telethon on the Glad to Give™ Facebook page, encouraging fans to either buy cookies or donate money online to Cookies For Kids' Cancer™.  During each one-hour virtual bake sale, participants can ask the actors questions in real-time, listen to exclusive interviews, watch baking demonstrations of the actors' favorite cookie recipes and have a chance to win autographed "Team Joan," "Team Jayma" or "Team Peter" t-shirts. By purchasing cookies virtually from their favorite celebrity, fans can help their team raise the most dough and win the challenge. Check the Glad to Give™ Facebook page for additional details regarding the live stream bake sales in early November.

"We're thrilled to be partnering with these great actors.  By leveraging the power of Facebook we hope to reach and inspire consumers to help us set a record year of fundraising for Cookies For Kids' Cancer," said Bob Hillman, brand manager for Glad®.

Unable to Tune into the Celebrity Cookie Challenge?

You can be a good cookie and help fund pediatric cancer research. Here are three other ways to get involved:

• Host a Bake Sale – Now through Dec. 31, 2010, Glad® will match all funds raised through Cookies for Kids' Cancer™ bake sales, up to $200,000. Go to www.GladtoGive.com to learn how to register your bake sale.
• Purchase Glad® Products – Now through September 2011, consumers who purchase specially-marked Glad® products and enter a code from the package at www.GladtoGive.com will trigger a $1 donation from Glad® to Cookies for Kids' Cancer™, up to $200,000. This is in addition to the brand's $200,000 bake sale match this season.
• Buy Cookies – Don't have time to bake? In November, buy delicious cookies at www.CookiesForKidsCancer.org and 100 percent of the net revenue will benefit the charity.

"Hosting a bake sale is just one way to help, but please do something," said Gretchen Witt, founder of Cookies for Kids' Cancer™ and mother of 6-year-old Liam who has been battling cancer since he was two. "Let's show parents what it means to live with hope and give more kids a chance at being kids. A cure for pediatric cancer begins with us."

The Glad Products Company

The Glad Products Company is wholly owned subsidiary of The Clorox Company.  The Clorox Company is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with 8,300 employees and fiscal year 2009 revenues of $5.5 billion. Clorox markets some of consumers' most trusted and recognized brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products; Green Works® natural cleaning and laundry products; Armor All® and STP® auto-care products; Fresh Step® and Scoop Away® cat litter; Kingsford® charcoal; Hidden Valley® and K C Masterpiece® dressings and sauces; Brita® water-filtration systems; Glad® bags, wraps and containers; and Burt's Bees® natural personal care products. The company's products are manufactured in more than two dozen countries and sold in more than 100 countries. Clorox is committed to making a positive difference in the communities where its employees work and live. Founded in 1980, The Clorox Company Foundation has awarded cash grants totaling more than $77 million to nonprofit organizations, schools and colleges. In fiscal 2009 alone, the foundation awarded $3.6 million in cash grants, and Clorox made product donations valued at $7.8 million. For more information about Clorox, visit www.TheCloroxCompany.com.

Cookies for Kids' Cancer™

Cookies for Kids' Cancer™ was founded by a mom inspired by her son's ongoing fight against cancer. Today pediatric cancer is the number one disease killer of children in the United States, due in large part to a lack of funding for research into new and improved therapies. Through the concept of local bake sales, Cookies for Kids' Cancer™ inspires individuals, organizations, and businesses to join in the fight against pediatric cancer by raising funds and awareness necessary to change the face of pediatric cancer and provide more families with the hope they deserve. For more information, visit www.cookiesforkidscancer.org.

(1) "Making Better Drugs for Children with Cancer" Institute of Medicine, http://www.iom.edu/CMS/28312/4935/26453.aspx, 18 Apr. 2005.

SOURCE Glad Products Company