Procter & Gamble Honors Moms of Special Olympics Athletes by Supporting the Global Movement and Special Olympics Team USA's Journey to the Upcoming World Games

CINCINNATI, May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), proud partner of Special Olympics for 31 years, announced today a program that honors Special Olympics moms by supporting their sons and daughters with a gift to Special Olympics of $250,000 to support local programs and services.  

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P&G is also making it possible for people to make a difference in the lives of Special Olympics Team USA athletes in their journey to the upcoming Special Olympics World Summer Games 2011 in Athens, Greece by visiting P&G's Thank You Mom Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thankyoumom. For every visitor that "likes," shares or leaves a comment on the page, P&G will donate $1 to support Special Olympics Team USA’s journey to Athens up to an additional $250,000. The site will also feature information about Special Olympics, heartfelt stories from the moms of Special Olympics Team USA athletes and an opportunity to create a unique family tribute video.  

"As the 'Proud Sponsor of Moms' P&G's goal is to celebrate moms and help improve their lives in meaningful ways every day," said Kirk Perry, Vice President, North America. "Special Olympics has been an important part of the P&G family since 1980 and we want to celebrate the dedication of Special Olympics moms and caregivers by helping to ensure their children are able to experience what is sure to be one of the proudest and most exciting events of their lives."

More than 315 Special Olympics Team USA athletes will travel to Athens for Special Olympics World Summer Games Athens 2011 June 25-July 4, to compete amongst more than 7,000 athletes from around the world. In the eyes of moms and caregivers of Special Olympics Team USA athletes, it's an opportunity for their children to experience a new level of independence and inclusion. Special Olympics was founded by the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968 with the goal of helping persons with intellectual disabilities develop self-esteem through the power of sports. This year marks the 31st anniversary of P&G's partnership with Special Olympics – one of the longest continuous consumer products cause marketing relationships in the United States.  

"We are thrilled to have a corporate partner like P&G who has supported our organization for so many years," said Timothy Shriver, Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics. "Special Olympics moms are the most amazing, determined and dedicated people I know. They fight every day for their children. They fight for health care. They fight for education. They fight for acceptance. They fight for the right to just hear from others, 'Your kid is terrific.'"

In addition to supporting Special Olympics Team USA athletes on their journey to Athens, P&G is ensuring that moms and caregivers of Special Olympics athletes who will not be in Greece for  World Games – along with moms and families across the country – will have the opportunity to see these athletes compete in Athens via videos of World Games events on the Thank You Mom Facebook page.

Inspirational Stories

P&G has launched the "What I See" advertising campaign inspired by Special Olympics moms and the organization's commitment to dignity, acceptance and respect for all individuals. The campaign focuses on Special Olympics Team USA athlete Molly Hincka and the faith her mom Kerry has in her. Doctors predicted Molly would never walk or talk, but Kerry saw endless possibilities of what her daughter could achieve. Molly will be proudly representing the United States at Special Olympics World Summer Games Athens 2011, competing in several track and field events.

Mary Lou Retton, 1984 Olympic gymnastics gold medalist and Special Olympics supporter, has teamed up with P&G and Special Olympics to help spread the word about the importance of supporting Special Olympics families and motivate people across the country to get involved. Retton, a longtime Special Olympics supporter, has also created her own "What I See" video tribute to her family, which can be viewed on www.facebook.com/thankyoumom.

"I'm honored to be a part of the P&G and Special Olympics partnership," said Retton. "As a mom and a former Olympic athlete, I know the sacrifices moms make for their children to reach their full potential, despite the 'nos, can'ts and shouldn'ts' they heard from doctors, schools and even other mothers."

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 135,000 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.

About Special Olympics

Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect worldwide. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown from a few hundred athletes to nearly 3.5 million athletes in over 170 countries in all regions of the world, providing year-round sports training, athletic competition health screenings, and other related programs.  Special Olympics now takes place every day, changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in all regions of the world and in community playgrounds and ball fields in every small neighborhood's backyard.  Special Olympics provide people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, and demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org.

SOURCE Procter & Gamble