P&G Celebrates the London 2012 Paralympic Games

P&G supports the performances of Canadian Paralympic athletes and says “Thank You” to Moms

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Procter & Gamble, Worldwide Olympic Partner, proudly celebrates the success of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, and recognizes the outstanding performances delivered by the Canadian Paralympic Team.

P&G Canada is proud to have sponsored world-class Canadian Paralympic athlete Josh Cassidy, whose inspiring efforts during The 2012 Games highlighted his role as a strong ambassador for both P&G and all Canadian Paralympic athletes. Josh represented Canada in four events, including the Men’s 800m – T54, where he finished in fifth place.

Through its sponsorship of Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes, P&G Canada is also celebrating the unsung heroes who have stood behind them on their journey to The 2012 Games – their moms. By way of a $500,000 commitment, P&G’s Thank You Mom campaign honoured the amazing moms behind our Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes, by helping them get to London to see their children compete on the world’s biggest stage.

In an effort to recognize the dedication of all moms of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, P&G would also like to congratulate Josh’s mom, Anne Cassidy, for her important role in supporting Josh on his journey to London. Through her hard work, she has helped to make Josh’s Paralympic dreams become a reality.

“I cannot thank P&G enough for the contribution they have made to help all Canadian moms travel to London to see their kids compete. As a mom of 10 children, it was a huge help for our family and I am delighted and proud to have been able to watch Josh compete in a sport he loves”, said Anne.

In addition to the sponsorship and financial commitment to moms, P&G extended their support to families of Paralympic athletes during their time in London by offering exclusive access to the P&G Salon in Wella Studio between August 29 and 31The salon offered a wide range of complimentary services, including haircut, colour, blow-dry or styling services, pampering skincare with makeup, and patriotic manicures, provided by leading P&G brands including Gillette®, Pantene®, CoverGirl® and Clairol®. Athletes were treated to a similar salon in the Athlete Village, along with a dental clinic with services provided by Crest® and Oral-B®. During this time, the P&G Salon was visited by 86 people.

“We are truly impressed with the performances of our Canadian athletes in London and are delighted to have supported them and their Moms throughout the Paralympic Games. We are also very happy to have partnered with the Canadian Paralympic Committee, which allowed us to celebrate and thank the incredible families of these athletes. They provide the love and support necessary for these young people to compete in such a high level competition”, said Thom C. Lachman, President, P&G Canada.

The P&G Thank You Mom campaign is the biggest in P&G’s 175-year history. It’s behind the company’s pledge to raise $25 million for youth sports programs around the world, something moms have said would be a great way to thank them. P&G is the first Worldwide Olympic Partner to recognize the role of moms and families in an athlete’s success, and will continue to celebrate their contributions through the next four Olympic Games in global partnership with IOC.

More about Josh Cassidy
Josh Cassidy is a Canadian Paralympic athlete in wheelchair racing. Born in Ottawa, Josh was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, cancer in the spine and abdomen, early in life. Josh was given a very low chance of survival, but persevered through illness and treatment. Josh also competed in the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and recently broke the world record by two seconds in the Boston Marathon, making him the fastest man to ever complete the Boston marathon. Cassidy has consistently ranked among the top five in the world for the past four years.

About P&G
P&G serves approximately 4.6 billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Fairy®, Gain®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun®, Fusion®, Ace®, Febreze®, Ambi Pur®, SK-II®, and Vicks®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 75 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.