Maytag Men(TM) Talk Conservation with School Kids

    NEWTON, Iowa, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Wash your hands. Tie your shoes.
 Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Habits formed in childhood tend
 to stick with us for the rest of our lives. Many kids haven't learned that
 there are lots of simple things they can do to help conserve our precious
 energy and water resources. Ol' Lonely and the Apprentice, the Maytag(R)
 repairmen, with help from some friends at The National Theatre for Children
 (NTC), want to change that.
     (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031117/CGM052 )
     During the school year they will visit elementary schools across the
 United States and perform a live theatre program on energy and water
 conservation. The program includes classroom and at-home activities that help
 children learn about the small, simple things they can do to make a big
 difference in conserving energy and water.
     As part of the effort, Maytag will launch the "Maytag(R) Junior Apprentice
 Club(TM)" to further promote energy and water conservation. Among other
 benefits, kids who join the Club will receive a letter from the Maytag
 Apprentice and tips on how they can help save water and energy. In keeping
 with the Apprentice's focus on innovation, kids who join the Club will be
 invited to send their ideas for saving water and energy to Maytag. Once a year
 the Maytag Apprentice will select the winning ideas, and winners and their
 schools will receive a special award from Maytag.
     Maytag leads the appliance industry in promoting energy and water
 efficiency. This is the company's first foray into bringing the conservation
 message directly to school children.
     "Maytag is proud to partner with the U.S. Department of Energy to bring
 The National Theatre for Children into schools to educate children about
 energy and water conservation," said Chris Wignall, vice president of
 marketing at Maytag Appliances. "The National Theatre for Children has an
 excellent reputation for using live theatre to present important issues to
 children. We're excited to have Ol' Lonely and the Apprentice be part of this
 effort, and the kids will enjoy having them visit their schools."
     The live theatre program, entitled "Conservation Dalmatian," will debut at
 an elementary school in Dallas, Texas, on November 19. It features Clayton the
 Dalmatian, newspaper reporter for "The Daily Beagle." Clayton is trying to
 figure out how water and energy are being wasted all over town. With the help
 of the Maytag Men and his friends Ebert the Fish and Dustin the Mouse, Clayton
 gathers the facts that will help him write a front-page story.
     "Conserving energy and water doesn't have to be inconvenient or involve
 major lifestyle changes," noted Marsha Penhaker of the U.S. Department of
 Energy. "Sometimes it just means a simple change in habit, like turning out
 the lights when you leave the room. Or it could involve trading in an older,
 less energy-efficient appliance for a newer one that carries an ENERGY STAR(R)
 rating."
     The savings can be significant. Turning off the faucet while you brush
 your teeth can save up to four gallons of water every time you brush. A new
 refrigerator can use 50 percent less energy than one that is 10 years old. A
 high-efficiency washing machine can save more than 8,000 gallons of water
 every year -- more than the average person drinks in a lifetime.
     Maytag wants to help children develop energy- and water-saving habits that
 will last a lifetime. When it comes to preserving precious resources, children
 and their families need to know that little things can make a big difference.
 
     About Maytag
     For the better part of a century, Maytag(R) (NYSE:   MYG) brand appliances
 have been synonymous with dependability and quality. Today, Maytag remains one
 of America's most trusted appliance manufacturers. Based in Newton, Iowa,
 Maytag Appliances offers a full line of high-performance appliances, including
 the Maytag(R) Gemini(R) double-oven range, Neptune(R) and Atlantis(R) washers
 and dryers, Wide-by-Side(TM) refrigerator with ClimateZone(TM) technology, and
 Jetclean(R) II, the world's first three-rack dishwasher. For more information
 on any Maytag appliance or to purchase an appliance online, visit
 www.maytag.com .
 
     About ENERGY STAR
     ENERGY STAR is a national symbol for energy efficiency that identifies
 products which meet strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S.
 Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Products
 that have earned the ENERGY STAR help consumers save energy, money, and the
 environment without sacrificing performance. To learn more about ENERGY STAR,
 please visit www.energystar.gov .
 
     About The National Theatre for Children
     Founded in 1978, The National Theatre for Children has created a rare and
 successful combination of education and marketing that brings some of
 America's best known brands into the nation's schools as sponsors of live,
 educational theatre programs. NTC programs focus on important societal issues
 such as nutrition, environmental conservation and tobacco prevention. Sponsors
 of previous educational programs have included Dole Food Company,
 UnitedHealthcare, American Electric Power and ShopRite Supermarkets.
 
     Contact:
      John Merritt
      Carmichael Lynch Spong
      (612) 375-8528
      jmerritt@clynch.com
 
      Jill Spiekerman
      Maytag Appliances
      (641) 787-6886
      jspiek@maytag.com
 
 

SOURCE  Maytag

RELATED LINKS
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