RockYou Supports UNICEF's Programs to Bring Safe Water and Sanitation to Children Around the World

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- RockYou, the leading innovator, creator and distributor of social experiences, today announced the launch of a social media campaign to promote the UNICEF Tap Project and World Water Week, March 21-27.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100322/LA73973)

"RockYou and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF are challenging RockYou's Zoo World community to raise $200,000 to support children around the world that don't have access to clean drinking water.  We are proud to support the U.S. Fund for UNICEF on this cause - by tapping into the power of social networking - to improve water quality and overall well-being for children," says Lisa Marino, Chief Revenue Officer of RockYou. For more information, visit http://apps.facebook.com/playzoo/zoo/home.php

The UNICEF Tap Project was first started in 2007 with 300 New York City restaurants asking their patrons to donate $1 or more in exchange for the tap water they usually receive for free; all funds raised would be used to bring safe and accessible water to millions of children worldwide. The program has since then become a national movement with thousands of restaurants across the country supporting UNICEF to raise funds.

"At a time when UNICEF innovations in the field are leveraging SMS and GPS mapping technology to track delivery of health interventions, our partnership with RockYou represents an exciting new direction for us in using social networking to communicate with and engage broader audiences in UNICEF's mission. This first collaboration on socializing the UNICEF Tap Project is part of a strategic partnership with RockYou to promote education, advocacy and fundraising and better the lives of children worldwide. "says Rajesh Anandan, Vice President for Corporate and Foundation Partnerships at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "Nearly 900 million people worldwide lack access to clean water—and half of those are children.  This collaboration will help raise important funds for UNICEF's water, sanitation, and hygiene programs, helping to reduce the number of people without safe water and basic sanitation."  

During World Water Week, March 21-27, 2010, the UNICEF Tap Project will once again raise funds to help provide water and sanitation - so that millions of children can lead a safe and healthy childhood - and spread awareness of the overall world water crisis. As part of this effort, RockYou is supporting the U.S Fund for UNICEF to reach millions of people across major social networks and spread the word about the need for safe and accessible water.

About UNICEF

UNICEF has saved more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. Working in over 150 countries, UNICEF provides children with health care, clean water, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy, and education in the United States.

UNICEF is at the forefront of efforts to reduce child mortality worldwide.  There has been substantial progress—the annual number of under-five deaths dropped from 13 million in 1990 to 8.8 million in 2008.  But still, 24,000 children die each day from preventable causes. Our mission is to do whatever it takes to make that number zero by giving children the essentials for a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org

RockYou is the leading innovator, creator, and distributor of content on the social web. With over 121M monthly US users and 13 billion monthly global impressions, advertisers on the RockYou network have the ability to tap the social networking audience directly, through timely and effective campaigns. RockYou provides customized, one-of-a-kind branding and promotional opportunities for leading brands through a large repertoire of products including IAB compliant Standard and Premium Banner Placements, Deal of the Day ads, and other custom application-integrated solutions. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, RockYou is funded by Sequoia Capital, Partech International, Lightspeed Venture Partners, DCM, SK Telecom Ventures and Softbank. For more information, please visit http://rockyou.com/corp/about.php

SOURCE RockYou