Duracell to donate ten million hours of battery power to cities at risk
23 Sep 2009
Driven by research that shows thunderstorms and tornadoes during fall months pose one of the greatest weather threats to power outages, Duracell has launched its 'More Power To Protect' programme, pledging more than 10 million hours of battery power to communities most susceptible to power outages.
For every click on the campaign button on its website, Duracell will donate one hundred hours of power in the form of batteries, flashlights and power chargers. These hours of power will go to first responders in cities particularly susceptible to power outages due to severe weather. The company is aiming at 10 million hours of donated power.
Based on a study commissioned by Duracell and completed by meteorologist Dr Robert Hart at Florida State University, people may be surprised to learn that thunderstorms and tornadoes are responsible for approximately 26.1 percent of the population experiencing outages over the last eight years -- nearly equal to the population outages caused by hurricanes (26 percent). The five markets that will receive donations are New York, Chicago, Knoxville, Tenn, Springfield, Mo, and Wichita, Kan.
Donations will be collected through November 15, 2009, and delivered in the form of Duracell's latest products, including the Duracell Daylite LED flashlights and Duracell Instant Chargers for cell phones. The hours of power donations will go to fire departments in the five cities which will distribute them locally to help community members be better prepared.
To launch the campaign, Duracell has signed up Paige Hemmis, star of ABC Network's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
"Because we have no control over when and to what degree weather will impact us, Duracell wants to take some of the guess work out of being prepared,'' said Bob Jacobs, Duracell marketing director, North America.
"What is so great about Duracell's 'More Power To Protect' campaign is it draws attention to what it means to be prepared in today's technological world," said Hemmis.
"Today's kit should go beyond a radio, water, food and medicine. For fire safety reasons, forgo candles and make sure you have a powerful flashlight. Plus, the ability to stay connected when you lose power is more important than ever, and Duracell knows it's little things like a fully-charged phone that keeps people feeling safe."
