Intellectually Disabled Special Olympics athletes in the UAE raced to Union Coop today to demonstrate their support for Procter & Gamble’s ‘Create Heroes’ campaign and encourage other shoppers to contribute to this worthwhile cause.
The ’Create Heroes’ campaign is a month long donation drive, taking place from October 15th-November 15th throughout the GCC, during which Procter & Gamble Gulf will donate SR1.2 million to Special Olympics from sales of many of its leading products including: Tide, Ariel, Fairy, Head & Shoulders, Pert Plus, Herbal Essences, Pampers, Olay, Gillette and Braun.
“Through these brands we are proud to support Special Olympics MENA and the athletes participating in the upcoming MENA games,” said Ahmed Linjawy, P&G External Relations Associate Director. “The ‘Create Heroes’ campaign is a demonstration of our commitment to communities in this region. By providing intellectually disabled children and adults in the Arab world with opportunities to develop physical fitness and build self esteem we are helping them become socially productive members of their society. When consumers in the GCC purchase these every day products they are helping to create heroes out of each and every athlete.”
“As a Special Olympics athlete I wanted to show my support for this cause! The Create Heroes campaign is an easy way for everyone to help people like me,” said Yacoub Issa Hassan. “The MENA games help me, and others, understand what I can achieve.”
The funds raised from the ‘Create Heroes’ campaign will be used to provide specialized training for the athletes and their coaches, improve and source sports training facilities and hold health screenings throughout the region, all of which are crucial to making the 2006 MENA games a success. For the first time the MENA regional games under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Mininster of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai will be staged in Dubai from November 11-15th, 2006
In good spirits and eager to demonstrate their support for the campaign Union Coop representatives were on hand encouraging the athletes Waleed Darweesh, Yacoub Issa Hassan
Abdallah Youssef Abdallah as they filled their trolleys and headed towards the checkout.
“Special Olympics MENA games are a regional event that gives those with intellectual disabilities an incredible opportunity to compete and work together for athletic achievement,” said Eng. Ayman Aly A. Wahab, Managing Director of Special Olympics MENA. “Procter and Gamble’s ‘Create Heroes’ campaign has allowed us to bring the magic of Special Olympics to this region and ensures that people with intellectual disabilities in the Middle East have an opportunity to enjoy the ultimate sporting experience .
For over 37 years Special Olympics has changed lives by promoting understanding and acceptance between people with and without intellectual disabilities. These efforts help change negative attitudes and misperceptions about people with intellectual disabilities, replacing stigma and rejection with respect and acceptance.
Procter & Gamble has been a strong global partner with Special Olympics for the past 25 years. This partnership demonstrates Procter & Gamble’s commitment and loyalty in supporting a cause that strives to improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities around the world.
About P&G Gulf
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(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Pringles(R), Downy(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R),Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella, Gillette(R), and Braun. The P&G community consists of almost 140,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. The company is a pioneer in the Middle East region. It built one of the first consumer goods manufacturing plants in Saudi Arabia (the Tide plant) in 1961 and currently operates three manufacturing sites with 1000 employees in Jeddah, Dammam and Dubai. The company is very active in helping the local communities and last year its total contributions to various social programs has exceeded 11 million Saudi riyals.
Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.
