Smiles Are in Session at Orlando's Winegard Elementary as HGTV Design Duo Joins Bounty to Reveal $50,000 Classroom Makeover

CINCINNATI, March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The lesson plan today at Orlando, Florida's Winegard Elementary was all about reading, writing and the big reveal as Procter & Gamble's (NYSE: PG) Bounty brand teamed up with HGTV design-duo Cortney and Bob Novogratz to showcase the results of a much-deserved $50,000 classroom makeover.  Teacher, students and community members gathered to witness the dramatic transformation at local Orlando school, which was named the winner of the Bounty's nationwide "We Love Our School" sweepstakes on March 10.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110324/NY70779 )

Under the direction of husband-and-wife design gurus and stars of HGTV's upcoming program "Home by Novogratz", Cortney, Bob and their team of more than 10 worked over the past week to transform Winegard Elementary's music room from drab to "fab."  The large, open room was given style, structure and organization; outdated technology was brought into the 21st century; and much-needed music and art resources and supplies were replenished – all with a fashionable twist.  Bounty and the team of designers were also able to address other needs in the school, including a new PA system for the cafeteria.

"We are overwhelmed with the results of the makeover – it's more than we could ever have imagined," said Dr. Jhunu Mohapatra, Principal at Winegard Elementary.   "Not only do our nearly 60 teachers now have the tools necessary to foster our children's education but our 700 students have a cleaner, more creative environment in which to learn and have fun doing so."

More than 2,600 schools across the country entered online for their chance to win the $50,000 classroom makeover that Bounty offered as it wrapped up the month-long, in-school cleaning initiative, "We Love Our School" Sweepstakes.  For the first 500 schools that took the Bounty Make a Clean Difference Pledge, they were automatically entered into the makeover sweepstakes and each received a Clean Kit filled with paper towels, Mr. Clean spray and a cleaning checklist – all in time for a classroom spring cleaning.

"With a demanding career and nine children, I barely find time to clean up after my own family – I don't know how these teachers fit in cleaning up after a class of 20 with everything else they do during the day," said Cortney Novogratz, designer and Bounty spokesperson.  "Knowing firsthand how important a clean learning environment is to a child's educational success, it is truly a privilege for me to join Bounty in helping to make a difference in these students' lives."

Prior to launching "We Love Our School," Bounty surveyed 1,001 U.S. school teachers and found that 84 percent of them reported feeling responsible for the cleanliness of their classroom. However, spic-and-span doesn't come without a cost because 71 percent of teachers have brought in supplies from home to keep up with their cleaning duties at school.

"We could not be happier to provide such a fun and well-deserved makeover to the dedicated teachers and students at Winegard Elementary, and we hope that our efforts not only in Orlando but throughout the country will inspire more action in our schools," said Bounty Brand Manager Dave Lee. "It is wonderful to see so many smiling faces and know that we are helping to alleviate some of the time and cost burden that can often stand in the way of our teachers pursuing hands-on, creative learning activities in the classroom."

Schools that took the Make a Clean Difference Pledge between February 18 and March 4 were automatically entered into Bounty's "We Love Our School" sweepstakes for a chance to win the $50,000 school makeover from Bob and Cortney Novogratz. The first 500 schools who took the pledge also received a Bounty Clean Kit with enough Bounty and Mr. Clean product to clean all of their classrooms, along with a cleaning checklist.          

To learn more about Bounty and the "We Love Our School" campaign, and for a special upcoming announcement from business mogul and Bounty mom Kimora Lee Simmons, visit www.Facebook.com/Bounty.

The Bounty "We Love Our School" Teacher Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research between January 26th and February 7th, 2011. For this research, 1,001 telephone interviews were fielded among American elementary and middle school teachers.

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 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.

SOURCE Procter & Gamble