Volunteers Join Mary J. Blige, Russell Simmons and Bounty(R) to Clean NYC's P.S. 165 School Through 'Make a Clean Difference' Program

CINCINNATI, May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Procter & Gamble Company's (NYSE: PG) Bounty® brand teamed up with Mary J. Blige, Russell Simmons and dozens of local New York City-area volunteers from HandsOn Network and Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation today to "Make a Clean Difference" at New York City's P.S. 165/Robert E. Simon School.  Answering the call from President Obama for Americans to volunteer in the community, Bounty's "Make a Clean Difference" program will unite more than 1,000 volunteers to transform the learning environments of 30 public schools in 10 cities across the country.    

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100504/NY97153 )

Mary J. Blige and Russell Simmons, a co-founder of Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, led the team of community volunteers in tackling everything from cleaning the cafeteria and auditorium to brightening up school grounds with a fresh coat of paint.  

"It is great to be here in New York City with Bounty and all of the volunteers who have given their time to truly make a difference in our community and in the lives of these young students," said Mary J. Blige.  "I hope that our efforts here today will inspire others to take action in their own communities so that together we can ensure a better learning environment for our young leaders of tomorrow."

Intended to inspire continued creativity in the classroom, Rush Philanthropic's teaching artist volunteers also worked with 25 students from P.S. 165 to create a special mural that will remain on display at the school.  Additional New York City schools receiving a clean-up with the help of community volunteers include Mosaic Prep on May 11 and P.S. 15 on May 19.  

"We can't stress how important volunteerism is to improving local communities," said Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light Institute and co-founder of HandsOn Network.  "We're thrilled to partner with strong brands like Bounty to demonstrate how easy it is to take action and how effective efforts can be in making changes to the areas in which we live."  

The program, announced by Gabrielle Union at the Points of Light Institute and HandsOn Network reception celebrating National Volunteer Week in Washington, D.C. on April 20, encourages local community volunteers to join Bounty in its commitment to transform the learning environments of schools across the country by getting them "Bounty clean."  

"We are thrilled to see the impact the volunteers have made here at P.S. 165 in New York City today and pleased to provide a clean learning environment for students to unlock their creativity and curiosity," said Dave Lee, Procter & Gamble North American Bounty Delivery Brand Manager. "We believe that messes should never get in the way of hands-on activity and learning."

The clean learning environments and volunteer service provided through Bounty's "Make a Clean Difference" program are critical since research shows a link between the cleanliness of school facilities and students' academic achievements, yet 25% of all schools report at least one on-site building in less than adequate condition.(1),(2)  Additionally, less than 33% of schools provide students with opportunities to bring learning to life through community service.(3)

In addition to NY, Bounty's "Make a Clean Difference" program will impact 30 public schools in the following cities from April through June: Atlanta; GA; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Cincinnati, OH; Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Minneapolis, MN and Seattle, WA.  For more information, visit www.facebook.com/bounty.

About Bounty

Bounty has been America's most popular paper towel for more than 30 years.  In the U.S., P&G offers the following premium two-ply paper towel products: Bounty Select-a-Size; Bounty White; Bounty Extra Soft; and Bounty Fun Prints.  Additionally, P&G offers Bounty Basic, a quality one-ply paper towel as well Bounty Quilted Napkins. For more information on Bounty, visit www.facebook.com/bounty.

About HandsOn Network

HandsOn Network, the volunteer-focused arm of Points of Light Institute, is the largest volunteer network in the nation and includes more than 250 HandsOn Action Centers in 16 countries.  HandsOn includes a powerful network of more than 70,000 corporate, faith and nonprofit organizations that are answering the call to serve and creating meaningful change in their communities.  Annually, the network delivers approximately 30 million hours of volunteer service valued at about $600 million. For more information, please visit www.HandsOnNetwork.org.

About Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation

Founded in 1995 by brothers Russell, Danny and Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons, Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, a 501 (C) 3 organization, is dedicated to providing disadvantaged urban youth with significant arts exposure, access and education as well as providing exhibition opportunities to early and mid-career artists and artists of color.  In its first 15 years, Rush Philanthropic has served over 700,000 urban youth, directed millions in funding from donors including individuals, foundations and leading corporations to underserved youth, and established two exhibit and education facilities, Rush Arts Gallery and Resource Center and Corridor Gallery.  Rush Philanthropic believes that if you give young people the opportunity to practice and appreciate art — whether poetry, music, dance or the visual arts — you will see lives transformed. Nurtured in early childhood, and anchored in sustained, creative experiences throughout one's life, it is through art that we see young people learn to value their own unique voices and visions; and it is through art that we see artists transform the minds and eyes of society. For more information, visit www.rushphilanthropic.org.

About Procter & Gamble

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Pringles®, Folgers®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, and Braun®.  The P&G community consists of over 135,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide.  Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

1. Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers; Cleanliness and Learning in Higher Education, June 2008. http://www.appa.org/files/FMArticles/FM0708featureJCampbellABigger.pdf

2. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics, Statistical Analysis Report, June 2000. page iv.  http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2000/2000032.pdf

3. Engaged for Success: Service-Learning as a Tool for High School Dropout Prevention; A Report by Civic Enterprises in association with Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the National Conference on Citizenship, 2008.  Page 3. http://www.civicenterprises.net/pdfs/service-learning.pdf

SOURCE P&G / Bounty