Kimberly-Clark Professional Green Patrol Cleans Up Lake Mead (Nev.) National Recreation Area, Builds Bicycles for At-Risk Youth in Henderson

LAKE MEAD, Nev., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 145 Kimberly-Clark Professional Green Patrol volunteers fanned out along the North Boulder beach and surrounding desert area at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area late yesterday to clean up and beautify a one square mile area at America's first national recreation area.

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In addition to the volunteer cleanup effort, 149 Kimberly-Clark Professional employees assembled bicycles in Lake Las Vegas to donate to at-risk youth in Henderson, Nev., through Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

These efforts are all part of the Green Patrol, which was created to support sustainability initiatives across the United States. The Kimberly-Clark Professional employees were in Lake Las Vegas to attend a companywide meeting.  They took time out of a busy schedule to build the bicycles and to help clean up trash and debris left behind by park visitors.

"We believe that individuals working together can have a tremendous impact on the community," said Richard Thorne, vice president of Kimberly-Clark Professional North America. "We hope that by bringing so many of our employees together in one place at one time that we have helped to sustain and maintain this national treasure."

To further support both efforts, Kimberly-Clark Professional will donate $5,000 to the National Park Service to support their volunteers' work in reforestation and other environmental projects and $5,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The Green Patrol was launched in April 2010, just prior to the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.  It brings Kimberly-Clark Professional volunteers into communities to help plant trees, support clean air, aid in cleanup, composting and recycling projects, and other activities that benefit the environment.

Green Patrol Efforts to Date

In addition to today's volunteer work in Lake Mead the Green Patrol has supported sustainability efforts in Corinth, Miss., Atlanta and Philadelphia.

In Corinth, on May 21st, the Green Patrol participated in a tree planting to help launch the Green Way project, an ambitious, multi-pronged environmental stewardship program developed by the Corinth High School's Environmental Club and Honors Diploma students.  Its goal is to "green" school grounds by installing trees and landscaping that will curb erosion. The Green Way project will also create outdoor classrooms, promote environmental education and sustainability concepts, and expand student-led recycling programs in Corinth schools, at the Kimberly-Clark Corinth Mill, and in the Corinth community.

The Atlanta and Philadelphia Green Patrol volunteer activities took place on April 17th.  In Atlanta, Kimberly-Clark Professional volunteers cleaned up the Proctor Creek, one of the most environmentally impaired creeks in metro Atlanta.  More than 70 Kimberly-Clark employees participated in the effort, which was undertaken as part of EarthShare of Georgia's Corporate Green Day Challenge.  In Philadelphia, the Green Patrol assisted with the recycling, composting and cleanup of trash from the Clean Air Council 5K Run.  

The Green Patrol will participate in more events in the coming months, including providing additional support for the Corinth Green Way project.  

Reduce Today, Respect Tomorrow

The Green Patrol is aligned with Kimberly-Clark Professional's  Reduce Today, Respect Tomorrow global environmental sustainability program, which takes a big-picture approach to environmental sustainability by seeking to reduce environmental impact at every stage of a product's life cycle – from raw material sourcing to manufacturing, from packaging to transport, and from design and usage to final disposal.  To learn more about Reduce Today, Respect Tomorrow, visit www.kcpreducetoday.com/us.

Kimberly-Clark Professional is one of the largest manufacturers of washroom products in the world, serving commercial and institutional facilities, such as office buildings, hotels, schools, healthcare facilities, manufacturing plants and other public buildings.

For more information about Kimberly-Clark Professional, its products and its sustainability program, visit www.kcpreducetoday.com/us.

About Kimberly-Clark Professional

Kimberly-Clark Professional is an indispensable business partner, delivering leading-edge health, hygiene and productivity solutions that provide tangible value every day, everywhere.  Kimberly-Clark Professional is also committed to reducing environmental impact at every stage in a product's life cycle with its Reduce Today, Respect Tomorrow program.  Known for innovative, quality solutions for away-from-home washrooms, "clean" and "industrial" manufacturing environments, and DIY settings, the global brands of Kimberly-Clark Professional include Kleenex, Scott, Kimcare, WypAll, KleenGuard, and Kimtech. With the acquisition of Jackson Safety, Kimberly-Clark Professional offers an even broader range of PPE and other safety offerings, including welding and work-zone safety products.  Located in Roswell, Ga., Kimberly-Clark Professional is one of Kimberly-Clark Corporation's four business segments and can be visited on the web at www.kcprofessional.com.  

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people - nearly a quarter of the world's population - trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in more than 80 countries.

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SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Professional