Up To 16 Million Disinfecting Wipes Donated To Fight Germs In Schools

Reckitt, the makers of Lysol, announced a partnership with actor, author and entrepreneur Sarah Michelle Gellar for the brand's Disinfecting Wipes "Buy One, Donate One" program. Through September 26, whenever a pack of Lysol Disinfecting Wipes was purchased, another pack was automatically be donated to an under-resourced school through Kids In Need Foundation. Through the program, aimed to help curb the spread of illness-causing germs in schools this back-to-school season, a total of up to 16 million packs of Lysol Disinfecting Wipes was expected to be donated to Title I schools across the country.

The program is the latest component of Lysol's HERE for Healthy Schools initiative. Started in 2019 with the mission to help curb the spread of preventable illness and to help kids miss less school so they are able to learn, grow and thrive, HERE for Healthy Schools has provided educational materials for students and Lysol disinfecting supplies for educators and administrators to more than 49,000 schools across the country. This year, HERE for Healthy Schools is focused on helping to protect children, educators and parents as they make their big return to in-person learning in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gellar previously partnered with Lysol in 2019 to launch the HERE for Healthy School initiative. As a mom of two whose own kids are heading back to in-person learning this fall and an avid proponent of germ prevention, she understands the importance of taking the time to educate kids – and adults – about healthy habits.

"As my own kids return to school this fall, it's important that they understand how preventable illnesses spread and are practicing healthy habits, like regularly washing their hands," Gellar says. "I love that Lysol is continuing to invest in ways to help educate kids on germs and healthy habits in fun and engaging ways through their work in schools. As someone who is an avid Lysol Disinfecting Wipes user in my everyday life, the Lysol Buy One, Donate One program is such an easy way to support schools in need as they try to keep germs at bay this school year."

In addition to the Buy One, Donate One Program, as part of the HERE for Healthy School initiative, Lysol has also implemented the following programs to promote healthy habits in schools:

• Welcome Back Packs: Welcome Back Packs are resources and materials Lysol developed in the Fall of 2020 in partnership with the CDC Foundation to help facilitate in-person learning, available online to download and print. Materials include informative posters, useful sticker templates, engaging lesson plans, and more to encourage healthy habits.

• Kinsa FLUency Program: Lysol is a sponsor of the Kinsa Fluency program — an early detection program for preventable illnesses within schools. Participating schools are given free Kinsa smart thermometers, which aggregate anonymous indicators of spreading illness and allow administrators to monitor illness trends through a private dashboard. Schools then use this data to inform health and safety policies like social distancing, increased disinfecting protocols or remote learning, as well as to encourage preventative behaviors to reduce community transmission. Lysol Disinfecting Wipes, approved by the EPA to be effective in protecting against SARS-CoV-2, are provided to participating schools to strengthen disinfecting protocols and help stop the spread of preventable illnesses. The Fluency™ program will be implemented in New York City across 700+ elementary schools this upcoming school year. Schools can apply here through September 30.

"For more than a century, Lysol has been protecting families from illness-causing germs, and to support that mission we created the HERE for Healthy Schools program focused on resources and initiatives dedicated to healthy habits education in schools. During the last year, our team collaborated with trusted partners such as Kinsa and the CDC Foundation to further this mission, through initiatives like the Buy One, Donate One, Welcome Back Pack and FLUency programs," says E. Yuri Hermida, EVP North America Hygiene for Reckitt. "We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Sarah Michelle on this initiative as we work to help Title I schools have the resources they need to welcome back students and teachers to the classroom."

To learn more about what Lysol is doing to promote healthy habits in schools and help reduce the spread of preventable illness this back-to-school season, visit lysol.com/here.