Chicago-Based Dow Microbial Control to Take Part in the Dow Live Earth Run for Water - the Largest Global Water Initiative in History Aimed at Helping Solve the World Water Crisis

CHICAGO, April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Dow Microbial Control, a business group of the Dow Chemical Company (Dow), will have all hands on deck supporting the Dow Live Earth Run for Water this Sunday, April 18 at Montrose Harbor in downtown Chicago.

With the support of Dow Microbial Control, Dow is mobilizing tens of thousands of people around the globe to participate and raise money to help solve the issue of clean, safe drinking water. Chicago area-based Dow Microbial Control employees in Chicago will be actively involved with the Dow Live Earth Run for Water, supporting the interactive water villages that feature Dow's water solutions to educate and engage Chicago about the global water crisis.

"Dow is working aggressively to develop products and technologies that meet the needs of nearly half of the world's population who live in water-stressed regions," said Mark Henning, general manager, Dow Microbial Control. "This problem can only be solved through unique collaborative initiatives like the Dow Live Earth Run for Water that motivate companies, governments and individuals to action. On April 18, 2010, Dow's 52,000 employees will join people from around the world to help millions of people gain access to safe, clean drinking water. Our Chicago Dow Microbial team is proud to be a part of the global movement to help in solving the global water crisis."

The Dow Live Earth Run for Water event will kick-off with a 6km run/walk, symbolic of the average distance many women and children walk every day to get water. After the race, participants will enjoy a live concert featuring multi-platinum selling recording artists Collective Soul, and special guest the legendary Sam Moore, and plethora of water education activities. The event will be part of a group of events taking place over the course of 24 hours in more than 150 cities across 50 countries around the world on April 18, 2010, to raise awareness and funds to help solve the global water crisis.

Funds raised from the event will benefit Global Water Challenge (GWC), a coalition of non profit organizations working to bring clean, safe drinking water to millions of people worldwide. This includes innovative projects that provide clean drinking water to communities in Haiti, Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. GWC has invested in previous projects with donations going towards improving access to water in schools and supporting local entrepreneurs who provide market-based solutions.

The Chicago Dow Live Earth Run for Water event will be held in Montrose Harbor at 4400 N. Lake Shore Drive, near downtown Chicago. The 6km course will take participants down the scenic shore of Lake Michigan. Starting time for the run is 10 a.m.

The Dow Live Earth Run for Water is a global movement focused on the actions individuals can take to effectively address the issue. People are encouraged to START solving the problem today, RUN in a Dow Live Earth Run for Water run/walk in their community or organize their own run/walk through the Friends of Live Earth program, SAVE water in their home and local community through conservation efforts, GIVE money to support clean, safe water projects and SPEAK UP by signing the Live Earth petition to add water as a basic human right to the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.

For more information about the Dow Live Earth Run for Water visit www.liveearth.org, and to participate in the Chicago event, please visit www.liveearth.org/run.

About Dow Microbial Control

Dow Microbial Control innovates with science and technology to provide long-term viable and sustainable microbial control. Our comprehensive global offering provides everything customers need to optimize formulations, including the highest performing and best supported portfolio of registered actives and products. With world-class people organization-wide and the only complete portfolio of microbial control technologies, Dow Microbial Control can solve any microbial control problem. From specialty to highly regulated and non-regulated, the company has the expertise and essentials for sustainable microbial protection for all products and processes. Ask more of us and visit www.DowMicrobialControl.com.

About Global Water Challenge

GWC is a diverse coalition that consists of leading organizations working to provide creative and sustainable solutions for universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation. GWC's mission is to generate a global movement to meet the urgent need for safe water and sanitation by spurring collective awareness and investment in water supply/sanitation innovation by corporate, public and nongovernmental actors. Our challenge is to reach people with the tools and education they need to empower themselves. Access to clean water and sanitation leads to healthier, longer and more productive lives, and breaks the cycle of poverty. Water and sanitation are not just human rights, they are human necessities. More information about Global Water Challenge can be found at http://www.globalwaterchallenge.org.

About Live Earth

Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action. A for-profit company, Live Earth seeks to leverage the power of entertainment through integrated events, media and the live experience to ignite a global movement aimed at solving the most critical environmental issues of our time. More information about Live Earth can be found at http://liveearth.org.

About Dow

Dow combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2009, Dow had annual sales of $45 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 214 sites in 37 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

SOURCE Dow Microbial Control