Actor Josh Lucas Helps Purina ONE In Giving Away $1 Million Dollars

VIDEO from Purina ONE and Synaptic Digital: Purina ONE® beyOnd™ Helps Americans Spread Goodness by Giving Away $1 Million in ONE Day

Actor Josh Lucas kicked-off day of giving in New York City

December is a time for giving, and while Americans may not always have the means, it's a time to look at what we believe in, look "beyond" ourselves and help others, both people and pets, in need. To spread goodness this holiday season, Purina ONE® beyOnd™ gave away $1 million to people and nonprofit organizations across the country on Monday, December 20.



According to a new national survey conducted by Purina ONE® beyOnd™ that explored how Americans give back during the holidays, most Americans (79 percent) find some way to give during the holidays. In fact, nine in 10 adults (90 percent) agree that they wish they were able to give more to charity. Perhaps this is because they believe in the power of giving to others; nine in 10 adults across demographic groups agree with this sentiment (92 percent) overall. Of those who have not given to charity this year, nearly two-thirds (59 percent) cite lack of disposable income as the reason.

To tap into Americans' desire to give back, the "$1 Million in ONE Day" campaign, which celebrates Purina ONE®'s newest product beyOnd™, kicked off in New York City with actor Josh Lucas. Lucas and the Purina ONE® beyOnd™ street teams gave New Yorkers the chance to make a difference this holiday season by asking them to select a nonprofit organization from a list of options, which included a variety of pet and people-related charities, to receive a $5,000 donation in their name from Purina ONE beyOnd. The team also provided each with a $500 gift card to allow them to spread goodness as they thought best.

In addition to New York City, Purina ONE® beyOnd™ street teams took to three other cities -- Denver, New Orleans and Miami -- asking randomly selected people to help spread goodness by selecting a charity to receive $5,000. Joining the local street teams to help spread goodness were: snowboarder Chris Klug - Denver; former New Orleans Saints footballer Deuce McAllister - New Orleans; and Chef Michelle Bernstein - Miami. In each market, $200,000 was given away to people and charities throughout the day on Monday, December 20. Going beyond the local markets, the remainder of the funds ($200,000) was distributed online via the Purina ONE® Facebook page, (www.facebook.com/purinaone). Fans voted for the nonprofit organization they most believed in. The five online pet organizations featured divided the $200,000 based on the percentage of votes.

"It's a great feeling to be a part of a campaign that gives people the opportunity to look beyond themselves, and there is no better time to do this than during the holiday season," Lucas said. "As a dog owner, and dog lover, I'm happy to support a brand like Purina ONE® that aims to make a positive difference in pets and the world we share."

Purina ONE® beyOnd™ will be available beginning January 2011. BeyOnd™ brand dog and cat food recipes are made with natural ingredients like real meat, whole grains and accents of fruit and vegetables, packaged in 92 percent renewable materials. This program is a manifestation of the brand philosophy that when it comes to spreading goodness, creating a pet food that embraces, celebrates and respects nature is the best way to do it. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/purinaone.


About Nestle Purina PetCare Company

Purina ONE beyOnd is manufactured by Nestle Purina PetCare Company, one of the leading global players in the pet care industry. Nestle Purina promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. The North American headquarters for Nestle Purina PetCare is located at Checkerboard Square in St. Louis, Missouri, where Ralston Purina was founded more than a century ago. The company is part of the Swiss-based Nestle S.A. – the world's largest food company.