P&G Opens Family Home to Moms & Families of More Than 10,000 Olympians

LONDON - Wednesday, July 25th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

Celebration welcomes Moms of Olympians to London including Moms of Sir Chris Hoy, Ryan Lochte, Lin Dan, Nikita Lobinstev, Felipe Franca & Noko Matlou

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), a Worldwide Olympic Partner and the company behind brands such as Ariel®/Tide®, Pampers® and Gillette®, today welcomed moms and families of Olympians to the P&G Family Home in London, becoming the first Olympic sponsor to offer moms and families from around the world a “home away from home” at the Olympic Games. Designed to give Moms and families of Olympians from all corners of the globe a place to relax, unwind, and be together, the family home is available to the moms and families of all more than 10,000 Olympians around the world.

“We asked athletes what we could do to support them here in London and they told us that Moms and families from around the world don’t have a place to really relax and be together at the Games,” said Marc Pritchard, P&G’s Global Brand Building Officer, “We have been in the business of serving moms and families for 175 years. So it makes sense for us to celebrate the athletes by serving their moms and families.”

The P&G Family Home has been designed to offer Moms and families all the comforts of home. In addition to Cover Girl® and Olay® beauty treatments, a Pampers® Playroom, and a Tide®/Ariel® laundry service, the home offers viewing, meals and internet access so that families can stay connected to loved ones at home.

“P&G is making an important and unique contribution to these Olympic Games by creating a warm, welcoming space where the families of some of the world’s greatest athletes can come together,” said President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge. “Athletes can be reassured that while at the P&G Family Home their families will be well cared for, thus enabling them to focus on doing their best on the field of play.”

P&G will celebrate the opening of the home at an event that will be attended by the Moms of some of the world’s most famous athletes. Attendees will include the Moms of US swimmer, Ryan Lochte, Chinese badminton player Lin Dan and British cyclist and Sportsman of the Year, Sir Chris Hoy.

At the event, Moms will be treated to an exclusive performance by British singer and mom, Rebecca Ferguson, a celebrated party from the UK television show,The X Factor.

“In Beijing, we had a great time, but sometimes struggled to find a place for a quick meal and to meet up with the families of other athletes competing,” saidIleana Lochte, mother to Team USA’s Ryan Lochte. “The P&G Family Home provides both of these resources, and I’m looking forward to getting to know moms whose kids compete in other sports and come from other countries.”

“Thanks to P&G we are able to come to London and to enjoy these Olympic Games,” said Ana Cristina Rodrigues Da Silva, mother to Team Brasilia’s Felipe Franca. “I can focus on supporting my son, and other mothers can do the same for their children when they compete. I’m very much looking forward to my time here in London, both to see my son compete and because my country will play host to the next Olympic Games.”

“It means a great to deal to me to have a base in London,” said Gao Xiuyu, mother to Team China’s Lin Dan. “It’s my first time here and I like knowing that there’s a place in the city where I can get together with other moms from around the world, because of P&G.”

“I will appreciate having a home-away-from-home where I can relax, meet other families and hear about their experiences,” said Lisbeth Matlou, mother to Team South Africa’s Noko Matlou. “The P&G Family Home provides me with what I need, so that I can be there for my child, cheering her on as she competes.”

“Every mom knows that encouraging your kids to play sports is not just about raising champions,” said Carol Hoy, mother to Team GB’s Sir Chris Hoy. “I was proud of Chris when he was a little boy winning the egg-and-spoon race, and I’m proud of him now as an Olympian. Thanks to P&G, I’ll be there to cheer him on in the Velodrome, and visit him in the P&G Family Home.”

To pay tribute to the Moms of the Games, P&G has also created a series of short videos that tell the story of what it takes to Raise an Olympian. More than 60 of these films are available on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZhwZI1wWGU

The Thank You Mom campaign is being brought to life across all media channels and in-store with a worldwide retailer program that began in April and runs through August. Olympic Games-themed P&G branded products are featured in more than 4 million stores across the globe. As part of the campaign, P&G has also committed to raise $5 million to support local youth sports programs through a portion of sales and donations from the company’s leadership brands

“We hope to create a global movement to thank not just moms of Olympians, but all moms everywhere for all they do to help their kids achieve their dreams,” said Pritchard.

For a full list of assets and information related to the P&G Thank You Mom campaign, including photos and video, visit www.PGThankYouMomMediaCenter.com.

About P&G

P&G touches and improves the lives of about 4.4 billion people around the world with its portfolio of trusted, quality brands. The Company's leadership brands include Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Fairy®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun®, Fusion®, Ace®, Febreze®, and Ambi Pur®. With operations in about 80 countries, P&G brands are available in more than 180 countries worldwide. Please visit pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

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