Chad Ochocinco and Degree(R) Men Ask America to Rise to the Challenge and Donate to Feed The Children

Degree Men and Ochocinco to Donate Thousands of Dollars to Charity During Playoffs

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Jan 07, 2010, 02:51 ET

CHICAGO, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Men love challenges, from pushing themselves at the gym to working hard at the office to stepping up for a good cause. On or off the field, from the locker room to the meeting room, men need a product that will protect and allow them to perform at their best. No matter the situation, men can always count on Degree® Men's line of anti-perspirants and deodorants to help them rise to the challenge. They know Degree won't let them down when they need it most.

Degree Men Charity Challenge

In an effort to help men rise to the challenge in all aspects of life, Degree Men and Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Ochocinco are kicking off a month-long Degree Men Charity Challenge campaign to support Feed The Children. Ochocinco, a world-class athlete, is known for his flashy play and ability to rise to the challenge both on and off the field. Likewise, Feed The Children rises to the challenge and delivers more than 100 million pounds of food and medicine to needy children and families around the globe every year. The two are teaming up with Degree to ask men across America to rise to the challenge and support a great cause during the football playoffs.

During the postseason, Ochocinco and Degree Men will pledge to rise to the challenge off the football field by tying donations to Ochocinco's performance on the field. They plan to donate $100 to Feed The Children for every yard Ochocinco gains during the playoffs, up to $10,000. For all men who rise to the challenge with donations of their own to Feed The Children, Degree Men won't let them down and will match all donations up to $40,000.

"Degree Men is proud to partner with a charity and an athlete who rise to the challenge, and we're excited to support Ochocinco with a charity donation based on his performance during the postseason," said Jay Mathew, Marketing Director, Degree Men. "Men can feel ready to rise to the challenge when they use Degree because they know it won't let them down; we're ready to back that up by matching all donations up to $40,000."

During the course of the football postseason, Ochocinco (@OGOchoCinco) will post "tweets" reminding fans that Degree won't let them down and encouraging them to rise to the challenge and make donations to Feed The Children.

"Whether it's making plays on the field or it's helping feed hungry children off the field, I can rise to the challenge in all aspects of life with Degree Men because it won't let me down," said Chad Ochocinco. "For every yard I gain during the postseason, Degree Men and I will donate $100 to Feed The Children. I want to encourage all my fans to rise to the challenge and make a donation to Feed The Children."

"We are so thankful to Chad Ochocinco and Degree Men for selecting Feed The Children once again as the charity of choice for the Degree Men Charity Challenge," said Tony Sellars, spokesperson for Feed The Children. "Their ongoing support will help countless children in need throughout the United States and around the world."

Ochocinco Wide Receiver Challenge

Football fans know that Chad Ochocinco is one of the best wide receivers to put on pads. To give fans a taste of what it's like to rise to the challenge like Ochocinco, Degree is encouraging fans to participate in the Ochocinco Wide Receiver Challenge to help Feed The Children.

From January 30 - February 2 at select Miami retailers, for a $5 donation to Feed The Children, football fans can put on shoulder pads and a helmet and catch deep football passes, just like Ochocinco. Men who rise to the challenge can be assured that Degree Men won't let them down - Degree will provide them with a chance to win great prizes including a VIP pass to Chad Ochocinco's party in Miami. All of the money raised during the Ochocinco Wide Receiver Challenge will be donated to Feed The Children.

How to Donate to The Degree Men Charity Challenge

Ochocinco fans can donate to Feed The Children by visiting FeedTheChildren.org/Ochocinco. Degree Men and Chad Ochocinco will match all fan donations up to $40,000. Chad Ochocinco and Degree Men will announce the final tally of donations to Feed The Children in Miami on February 4, 2010.

Degree Men Helps Men Rise to the Challenge

Degree Men's line of anti-perspirants and deodorants is specifically designed to release extra protection when it's needed most. Whether it's in football or life, men can be assured to rise to the challenge with Degree because it won't let them down.

ABOUT UNILEVER:

Unilever's mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products.

In the United States, the portfolio includes major brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 14,000 people in both the United States and Puerto Rico - generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2007. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com.

ABOUT FEED THE CHILDREN:

Founded in 1979, Feed The Children is consistently ranked as one of the 10 largest international charities in the U.S., based on private, non-government support. Feed The Children is a Christian, international, nonprofit relief organization with headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that delivers food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty or natural disasters. In FY 2008, Feed The Children distributed more than 133 million pounds of food and other essentials to children and their families in all 50 states and internationally, supplementing more than 760,000 meals each day. Since its founding, the organization has reached out to help those in need in 119 countries around the globe. For more information, please visit www.feedthechildren.org.

SOURCE Unilever