The Christopher Zorich Foundation

CHRIS ZORICH, COLGATE AND THE YMCA PARTNER TO HOST CITYWIDE
BRUSH-A-THON AND DENTAL VAN ROLL-OUT

Former Bears Standout Chris Zorich and Elected Officials
Participate in National Campaign to Promote Good Oral Health Care to

100 Million Children

CHICAGO - At a citywide Brush-A-Thon hosted today by Colgate-Palmolive Company and the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, hundreds of local children joined Chris Zorich, former Defensive Tackle for the Chicago Bears, in brushing their teeth to help raise awareness as to the importance of maintaining good oral health. As part of the festivities, held at the New City YMCA on Chicago's Northside, Colgate Mobile Dental Vans from around the country convened to provide free dental screenings, treatment referrals and oral health care education for children participating in Y programs across the city. A number of elected officials, community leaders and representatives of the National Dental Association and Hispanic Dental Association also participated in the event.

The "100 Million Smiles" Brush-A-Thon and van mobilization are part of a comprehensive campaign launched by Colgate's Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program to provide oral health education and free dental screening to 100 million children by the year 2010. The Chicago event is the second stop on a city-by-city tour designed to help combat the "silent epidemic" of oral health disease cited by former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher in his "Oral Health in America" report.

Dr. Marsha Butler, Global Vice President, Professional Markets, Colgate-Palmolive Company, highlighted the educational initiatives, community partnerships and "clinics on wheels" that Colgate has established to help meet the needs of children in underserved communities. "Through our Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program, Colgate is actively involved in communicating the importance of maintaining good oral health and we are always seeking partners to help spread the word," she said. "Thus far, we have reached out to nearly 40 million children and we continue to provide educational kits for schools, set up clinics in target areas and at cultural events across the U.S., and work with professional and community partners to recruit more minority dental professionals to help treat at-risk children in urban and rural areas."

Lending his support to the Brush-A-Thon and the oral health care campaign, Chris Zorich, led the children in brushing their teeth. The chairman of the Christopher Zorich Foundation, Zorich said: "Helping kids to understand the importance of good oral hygiene and empowering them to communicate that knowledge to other young people may well be the key to this program's success. I'm honored to be a part of this morning's event. Hopefully it will inspire a generation of great smiles."

Following the Brush-A-Thon, Zorich and the children stood beneath a ceremonial arch to formally dispatch the Mobile Dental Vans to various YMCAs around the city. All told, the volunteer dental professionals who man the vans expect to see some 600 Chicago youngsters.

Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company tightly focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Household Surface Care, Fabric Care and Pet Nutrition. In the U.S., Colgate sells its quality products under such nationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Mennen, Ajax, Irish Spring, Softsoap, Murphy Oil Soap, Ultra Brite and Fab, as well as Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet pet foods. For more information about Colgate-Palmolive and the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures programs visit the company's web site at www.colgate.com.

The YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago operates 31 city and suburban centers and more than 100 extension sites throughout the Chicago area. The YMCA touches and strengthens the lives of over 1 million people each year. Each YMCA provides essential programs and services to the diverse neighborhoods of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.