Cee Lo Changes His Tune, Promising Not to 'Forget' the Nation's Volunteers as Part of Battery Donation Program to Power Volunteer Firefighters Across the U.S.

BETHEL, Conn., May 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cee Lo Green may be best-known for his break-up anthem 'Forget You,' which earned him a 2011 Grammy Award, but the entertainer today will change his tune to reveal a softer, more vulnerable side with the 'Thank You' charity track. Cee Lo will continue to tell his little-known personal rescue stories through original lyrics he created in tribute to the one million volunteer firefighters across the country.(1)  It's his way of partnering with Duracell and the National Volunteer Fire Council for the Power Those Who Protect Us program, designed to donate batteries while supporting and raising awareness for our nation's volunteer firefighters.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110506/CL97143 )

Cee Lo is closely connected with the Power Those Who Protect Us volunteer firefighter cause.  As a child growing up in Atlanta, Cee Lo's mother served as a volunteer firefighter.  Then, when he was 16 years old, a group of local volunteer firefighters miraculously pulled his mother to safety following a near-fatal car accident. The new 'Thank You' song will serve as an ode to the firefighters on the scene during those two critical rescues and to the 23,000 volunteer fire departments across the county(2) that put their lives in danger daily to protect their communities.  The track is a free, limited-edition download, available exclusively on Duracell's Facebook page, Facebook.com/Duracell, while supplies last.  The song will also be accompanied by an online video featuring first-hand accounts by Cee Lo and heroic images from volunteer firefighters across the country.

"As entertainers in the public light, we have an unique opportunity to raise awareness for causes close to our hearts through our greatest passion: music," said Green. "That's why I am proud to join the Power Those Who Protect Us cause, to tell my own story and shed light on the tireless sacrifices our nation's volunteers make each and every day to protect their communities."

"We are excited to encourage local communities to join in our thank you efforts with Cee Lo, a superstar who has been profoundly impacted by the very community we're supporting," said Volker Kuhn, General Manager, North America for Duracell. "In addition to releasing our limited-edition track and video, we'll also be thanking volunteers by doubling our initial contribution commitment from 10 million to up to 20 million batteries for the 23,000 volunteer fire departments in the United States."

In addition to downloading the song and watching the touching video, local communities can also support the program, either by purchasing specially-marked packs of Duracell AA and AAA batteries or by thanking their local volunteers during one of the Power Those Who Protect Us 'Thank You' events.  For each specially-marked battery pack purchased, Duracell will make a donation to the nation's volunteer firehouses.  Donations can also be localized to support specific volunteer firehouses by logging on to Duracell.com/Protect and entering a zip code.  As part of the 'Thank You' event series, Duracell and the NVFC will partner with several communities and firehouses across the country to host fundraisers to benefit the needs of local volunteer fire units.  For more information and upcoming dates, visit Facebook.com/Duracell.

Launched in January 2011, Power Those Who Protect Us, is a joint effort between Duracell and the NVFC to help equip the nation's volunteer fire force, which makes up nearly three-quarters of our nation's fire departments, with supplies they need to help power their everyday tools and life-saving devices.  The program was created to help offset the out-of-pocket financial contributions many volunteers must make in order to support their local departments (64 percent of volunteers surveyed report that their departments are not sufficiently funded to sustain all areas of operations(3)).  In fact, 86 percent of volunteer firefighters report that they or their families invest their own money in purchasing supplies and/or equipment for their department, with most of them (73 percent) investing up to $500 per year.(4)

Due to the great initial response to and support for the program, Duracell is also proud to announce today that it will be doubling its battery donation goal to provide the volunteer community with up to 20 million batteries for the 23,000 volunteer fire departments across the country.

For more information or to get involved in Duracell's Power Those Who Protect Us battery donation program, visit www.duracell.com/protect and/or Facebook.com/duracell.  

About Duracell

Part of the Procter & Gamble Company [NYSE:PG], Duracell has been powering people around the world for more than 40 years. Our products serve as the heart of devices that keep people connected, protect their families, entertain them and simplify their increasingly mobile lifestyles. As the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance alkaline batteries, Duracell also innovates in lighting, renewable power and wireless charging technologies to help consumers live life without limits. Visit www.duracell.com for more information, follow us on Twitter.com/Duracell_Power, and like us on Facebook.com/Duracell.

About the National Volunteer Fire Council

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. Organized in 1976, the NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer fire and emergency services in the national arena and provides invaluable tools, resources, programs, and advocacy for first responders across the nation. Each state firefighter's association elects a representative to the NVFC Board of Directors.

About Procter & Gamble

Four 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®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®.

The P&G community includes approximately 127,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

(1) 2005 US Fire Service Needs Assessment Survey, Cooperative Study between the US Fire Administration, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Fire Protection Agency

(2) Courtesy of the National Volunteer Fire Council, 2011

(3) Duracell and NVFC commissioned Ipsos study of U.S. Volunteer Firefighters, January 2011

(4) Duracell and NVFC commissioned Ipsos study of U.S. Volunteer Firefighters, January 2011

SOURCE Procter & Gamble