Gabrielle Union Teams Up With Bounty(R) to 'Make a Clean Difference' in Public Schools Across the Country

CINCINNATI, April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Procter & Gamble's Bounty® brand (NYSE: PG), in partnership with HandsOn Network and the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, announces the "Make a Clean Difference" program which will unite more than one thousand volunteers to transform the learning environments of 30 public schools in 10 cities across the country.  Actress and spokesperson Gabrielle Union unveiled the program last night in Washington, D.C. at the HandsOn Network's reception to celebrate National Volunteer Week and the first anniversary of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.  In the following weeks, Gabrielle will be joined by other famous faces pitching in to make a clean difference in public schools, including Mary J. Blige and Russell Simmons who will kick off the first school clean up in New York on May 4th.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100421/NY90354 )

Volunteers will help make the schools "Bounty clean," tackling everything from cleaning cafeterias to planting around front entrances, while Rush's teaching artists will work with children and volunteers to paint special murals to leave behind at each school that inspire and promote creativity.

"I am thrilled to be here at National Volunteer Week with the HandsOn Network, Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and Bounty," said Gabrielle Union. "We hope the 'Make a Clean Difference' program will inspire families across the country to get involved hands-on in their communities and join the effort to clean our public schools."

Clean learning environments 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)

"Our goal is to provide our youth with clean and fun learning environments to unlock their curiosity and creativity," said Dave Lee, Bounty Brand Manager.  "We believe that whether at home or at school, messes should never get in the way of creativity and learning."

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; New York, NY; 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 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. www.rushphilanthropic.org

About Procter & Gamble [NYSE:PG]

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.

(2) U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics, Statistical Analysis Report, June 2000. page iv.

SOURCE Procter & Gamble; Bounty