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DURACELL AND THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN
PARTNER TO HELP EMPOWER AND EDUCATE FAMILIES
Actress Julianne Moore Helps Raise Awareness for Child
Safety and Preparedness
BETHEL, CT, April 26, 2006 – Duracell®
today announced the launch of a child-safety preparedness program in partnership
with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children®
(NCMEC). The nationwide program, called Power of Parents, has
a goal of reaching 1 million families to educate them on the importance
of having up-to-date ID photos of their children for emergency purposes.
Additionally, to help generate awareness for the cause, Duracell and
NCMEC will be joined by Julianne Moore, who will help kickoff the program
at a community photo ID event on May 4, 2006 at the Third Street Promenade
in Santa Monica, Calif. Actress Susan Sarandon also is lending her voice
to radio public service announcements that will begin airing today.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 2,000 children
are reported missing every day and, thankfully, the vast majority of them
are recovered quickly. The Power of Parents program is designed
to help families prepare, protect, and empower their children by dispelling
common child-safety myths and reminding parents and guardians of the importance
of having an up-to-date photo of every member of the family under the
age of 18.
NCMEC says that having a good-quality current photo of a missing child
is essential to assist law enforcement in the critical first hours of
an investigation. According to a recent survey conducted by Duracell and
NCMEC, only 46 percent of parents or guardians surveyed believe that having
a recent photo of a child for emergency purposes is important. Additionally,
only 49 percent of parents or guardians who have an emergency photo of
their child update it every six months1 – the timeframe
recommended by experts.
“Every family has photo albums that capture life’s priceless
memories, but there is one photo that is simply invaluable,” said
Julianne Moore. “Our goal is to reach 1 million families to educate
them on the importance of having up-to-date photos of their children for
emergency purposes.”
Duracell and NCMEC also launched a Power of Parents Web site
(www.duracell.com/parents)
to help dispel common child-safety myths and provide valuable early intervention
tools for parents and guardians. The site includes a downloadable step-by-step
child ID guide and a unique six-month e-mail reminder service for parents
and guardians to help them remember to update the information and photo
in their child’s ID packet.
“We are thrilled to be joining forces with Duracell to bring the
Power of Parents program to families across the country,”
said Ernie Allen, NCMEC president. “This program is a great call-to-action
for everyone – a simple reminder about the importance of taking
a few minutes to create a child’s photo ID and review safety information
with your family.”
“Duracell is proud to work with one of the most heroic organizations
for child safety to provide an invaluable resource to parents and guardians,”
said Mark Leckie, president, Duracell and Braun, The Procter & Gamble
Company. “If the Power of Parents program prompts at least
one parent or guardian to take action today to help protect their families,
we’ll have succeeded.”
As part of its commitment to the program, Duracell also will make a monetary
donation to the NCMEC and an in-kind donation of batteries and flashlights
to NCMEC’s Team Adam, a network of on-site rapid-response consultants
who help in providing technical assistance to local law enforcement officers
who investigate cases of child abduction and sexual exploitation across
the country. Later this year, Duracell will extend the partnership at
retail with an on-pack sponsorship, retail displays and advertisements.
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
(NCMEC)
NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation
with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting
mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 387,800
leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement
with more than 119,800 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery
of more than 102,200 children. For more information about NCMEC, call
its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its Web site
at www.missingkids.com.
About Duracell
Part of The Procter & Gamble Company, Duracell is the world’s
leading manufacturer and marketer of alkaline batteries. It’s brands
hold the No.1 position in North America, China, Europe, Latin America,
and Africa. Duracell offers a complete portfolio of power solutions for
every type of digital camera user including: Duracell Ultra Digital, a
premium alkaline battery for occasional digital camera users; Duracell
PowerPix, a new disposable battery for moderate users; and Duracell Rechargeables,
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries and chargers for very frequent digital
camera users. The company also sells flashlights and recently acquired
Garrity Industries, a leading U.S.-based manufacturer and marketer of
lighting products.
About P&G
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 almost 140,000 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.
CONTACT:
Kara Salzillo
Duracell
617-421-7452
kara_salzillo@gillette.com
Tania Scheer
PainePR
212-613-4918
tscheer@painepr.com
NCMEC
Communications Division
703-837-6111
media@ncmec.org
1 CARAVAN® survey
of parents/guardians, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, on behalf
of Duracell and NCMEC, February 2006.
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