Carlos Ponce Leads Local Volunteers During Bounty's® 'Make a Clean Difference' Program Stop at Miami's Auburndale Elementary School

CINCINNATI, May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Procter & Gamble Company's (NYSE: PG) Bounty® brand is teaming up with Puerto Rican-born singer and actor Carlos Ponce and dozens of local Miami-area volunteers from HandsOn Network and Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation today to "Make a Clean Difference" at Miami's Auburndale Elementary School.  Answering the call from President Obama for Americans to volunteer in the community, Bounty's "Make a Clean Difference" program is uniting more than 1,000 volunteers to transform the learning environments of 30 public schools in 10 cities across the country.    

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100519/NY06470 )

Latin-sensation Carlos Ponce, renowned for his singer/songwriter, producer, actor and TV personality talents, is leading the team of community volunteers in tackling everything from lending extra hands to spruce up classrooms with a fresh coat of paint to planting flowers and gardening outdoor areas.  

"I'm thrilled to be here in Miami with Bounty where I first spent time developing my interest in the arts at a young age," said Carlos Ponce.  "It is so important to encourage today's young children of all backgrounds to follow their interests and talents, and I am happy to be a part of a program committed to making a difference in the lives of all students."

Intended to inspire continued creativity in the classroom, Rush Philanthropic's teaching artist volunteers also created a special mural that will remain on display at the school.  Additional Miami schools receiving a helping-hand from community volunteers include Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary on June 5 and Edison Park Elementary on June 12.

The program, announced by Gabrielle Union at the Points of Light Institute and ServiceNation reception celebrating National Volunteer Week in Washington, D.C. on April 20, encourages local community volunteers to join Bounty in its commitment to help maintain the learning environments of schools across the country by getting them "Bounty clean."  

"We are thrilled to see the impact the volunteers are making here at Auburndale Elementary in Miami today so that students can continue to unlock their creativity and curiosity in a clean learning environment," said Felix Olmo, Procter & Gamble North American Brand Manager, U.S. Hispanic Bounty & Charmin.  "Today, within this Hispanic community and with the help of Carlos Ponce, we are demonstrating how easy it is for volunteers to take action and how getting 'hands on' within your local town can have a positive impact on tomorrow's leaders."

Maintaining clean learning environments and providing volunteer services are the crux of Bounty's "Make a Clean Difference" program.  Research shows a link between the cleanliness of school facilities and students' academic achievements, yet, 25 percent of all schools report at least one on-site building in less than adequate condition.(1,2)  Additionally, less than 33 percent of schools provide students with opportunities to bring learning to life through community service.(3)

In addition to Miami, 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; 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 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 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. For more information, visit www.rushphilanthropic.org.

About Procter & Gamble

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.

http://www.appa.org/files/FMArticles/FM0708featureJCampbellABigger.pdf

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

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2000/2000032.pdf

3. Engaged for Success: Service-Learning as a Tool for High School Dropout Prevention; A Report by Civic Enterprises in association with Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the

National Conference on Citizenship, 2008.  Page 3. http://www.civicenterprises.net/pdfs/service-learning.pdf

SOURCE Procter & Gamble/Bounty