What Would YOUR School Do With $25,000 To Improve Youth Fitness?

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- To address the urgent health and fitness crisis among our nation's youth, while acknowledging the budget crisis faced by schools across the country, Henkel, the company behind some of the nation's leading consumer brands such as Dial®, Purex®, Renuzit®, Right Guard®, and Soft Scrub®, has launched the company's 2010 Henkel Helps campaign -- Henkel Helps Get Kids Fit.

Henkel Helps Get Kids Fit encourages parents, students, educators and community members to visit http://www.HenkelHelps.com to nominate their local school by answering a fundamental question with inspirational answers: "What Would Your School Do with $25,000 to Improve Youth Fitness?" Essay nominations will be accepted starting August 1, 2010 through September 30, 2010. Ten finalists, chosen by Henkel and their partner, the American Council on Exercise (ACE), will receive a free Flip™ video camera to create a brief video that brings to life the health and fitness issues facing their school and their idea for making the most of the $25,000 prize.

Consumers will vote online at http://www.HenkelHelps.com to select the $25,000 winning school entry. At the same time, consumers can enter the Henkel Helps Get Kids Fit Sweepstakes, where someone will win $5,000 in fitness cash.

"Childhood obesity has become a critical epidemic in the US – emphasized by First Lady Michelle Obama's recently announced Let's Move campaign – and this crisis is compounded by the budget struggles so many schools are having to maintain their physical fitness and health programs," said Natalie Violi, Director-Corporate Communications – Henkel.  "In the last three years, Henkel Helps has worked to make people's lives easier, better and more beautiful.  Our 2010 campaign, Henkel Helps Get Kids Fit, hopes to inspire communities around their schools' fitness programs and make a meaningful difference in the lives of kids, families and neighborhoods nationwide."

For more information please visit http://www.HenkelHelps.com.

About Henkel

Henkel operates worldwide with leading brands and technologies in three business areas: Laundry & Home Care, Cosmetics/Toiletries and Adhesive Technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel holds globally leading market positions both in the consumer and industrial businesses with well-known brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf and Loctite. Henkel employs about 50,000 people and reported sales of $18.86 billion and adjusted operating profit of $1.84 billion in fiscal 2009. Henkel's preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX and the company ranks among the Fortune Global 500.

SOURCE Henkel