Special Olympics Team USA

P&G launches “Thank You Mom” Facebook page where families across the U.S. can help boost P&G’s contribution by showing their support for Special Olympics Team USA

Mary Lou Retton, 1984 Olympic gymnastics gold medalist, teams up with P&G in support of Special Olympics Team USA                               

Procter & Gamble, proud partner of Special Olympics for thirty-one 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.

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 31^st 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.

P&G is expanding a campaign called “proud sponsor of moms” that you might remember from when it was introduced a year ago February during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.  This theme will be continued in a new television commercial that you will start seeing on-air this week called “What I see” that features Special Olympics Team USA athlete, Molly Hincka, and her mom, Kerry Hincka. This ad will air on national television across multiple networks continuing up to World Games in June.
 
In addition to the television ad, P&G is launching www.facebook.com/thankyoumom, which will be a platform where fans can share messages of support for Team USA.  For every message of encouragement sent on this page to Special Olympics Team USA athletes or their moms, P&G will donate $1, up to $250,000, to Team USA, helping to fulfill the wish of every Special Olympics parent – to see their son or daughter get the chance to reach their full potential.
 
Watch the commercial.

Watch Molly and Kerry Hincka and Special Olympics CEO Tim Shriver in an interview on Fox New York.

Ambassador Daniel Smith and Mrs. Diane Smith, along with Embassy personnel, welcomed Special Olympics athletes, volunteers, sponsors, Greek government officials and media representatives at a reception March 17 in honor of Special Olympics International and Special Olympics Hellas. 

Ambassador to Greece Daniel Smith meets with Special Olympics organizers and athletes.

The evening’s warm festivities included an address by Ambassador Smith where he spoke about the legacy of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver, the founders of Special Olympics, and the message of understanding and respect for individuals with intellectual disabilities that the Special Olympics movement brings to the world. 

On behalf of the Greek Government, Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas expressed his support for the Special Olympics and his optimism that despite the difficult financial situation, his country will host successful World Summer Games in Athens June 25-July 4, 2011. His words were echoed by Dimitris Avramopoulos, representing the leader of the opposition New Democracy party.

President of Special Olympics International, Dr. Tim Shriver, conveyed via a videotaped message his best wishes for the Athens Organizing Committee and encouraged the world to come to Athens this summer to be a part of the Games.

Joanna Despotopoulou, President of the Athens 2011 Special Olympics Organizing Committee, flanked by Special Olympics athletes, thanked all those present for their support and promised exceptional Games this summer.

The evening concluded with prominent composer Stephanos Korkolis, who performed the official anthem of Special Olympics, and with the brief words of Special Olympics athlete Olga Dasoura who asked everyone to come to Athens this summer and cheer on the expected 7,000 athletes.

This was an excellent opportunity for Embassy Athens to showcase strong USG support for Special Olympics, a movement founded in the United States, and raise awareness for the rights of and celebrate the achievements of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Media registration for the Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011 has been extended until April 15.

To register, visit the Games website through April 15. 

Beginning the week of March 21, all registered media will receive an e-mail with information about the official media hotel and how they can proceed with making booking arrangements.