HispanicBusiness

Six leading beauty brands unite to recognize local women for community involvement and invest in future leaders with donation towards Hispanic youth

CHICAGO--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--September 5, 2003--Six local Latinas, ranging from well-known community leaders to unsung heroes, will be honored today during the Chicago TESORO awards. Sponsored by Caress, Dove, Pond’s, Suave, ThermaSilk, Vaseline Intensive Care and Glamour en español, the TESORO awards pay tribute to extraordinary role models who have made a difference in the community as well as expand the uniquely ME! THE GIRL SCOUT/UNILEVER SELF-ESTEEM PROGRAM into Chicago’s Hispanic community. The TESORO awards are part of “Secretos de Belleza,” a national campaign sponsored by the brands and honoring today’s Latina woman.

“We have nominated and selected these very special women based on professional achievements and the ability to inspire change in their community,” said Annette Fonte, Multicultural Marketing Manager for Unilever.

The 2003 Chicago TESORO recipients are:

-- Pond’s Arts & Culture Award – Elena Climent
International Painter and Artist

-- Vaseline Intensive Care Community Service Award – Ann R. Alvarez
President, Casa Central

-- Suave Education Award – Elizabeth Ortiz
Senior Executive for Institutional Diversity, DePaul University

-- Caress Public Service Award – Patricia Mendoza
Chief of the Civil Rights Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office

-- Dove Healthcare Award – Lucy Robles-Aquino
CEO, HISPANOCARE

-- ThermaSilk Journalism Award – Theresa Gutiérrez.
Award Winning Journalist and Host of “Ñ Beat”

“It is an honor to recognize Latinas who have made incredible contributions to Chicago’s Hispanic community,” said Barbara Palacios, Former Miss Universe and TESORO award presenter. “These women have truly inspired change through their leadership, education and service.” Ms. Palacios also serves as national spokesperson for the Secretos de Belleza campaign.

Investing in Future Latinas

During 2003 Chicago TESORO Awards, Secretos de Belleza is also awarding a grant to uniquely ME! THE GIRL SCOUT/UNILEVER SELF-ESTEEM PROGRAM. uniquely ME! is the first self-esteem program of its kind to inspire adolescent and pre-adolescent girls through the Girl Scouts program to develop a sense of individualism, leadership and self-confidence. The Secretos de Belleza campaign has also extended this program to Latino communities in Miami, Los Angeles and Houston to help young Latinas in underprivileged communities develop the confidence and skills necessary to be successful in future endeavors.

In Chicago, the donation will be used for the purpose of creating uniquely ME! workshops in the Hispanic community. The workshops will include exercises about recognizing one’s strengths and best attributes, dealing with peer pressure, healthy eating habits, hygiene, general wellness, exercise and understanding one’s core values and personal interests.

“We are proud to present the first-ever TESORO awards and honor female role models who embody the spirit of leadership, passion and service in their community,” Fonte added. “The program is building tomorrow’s leaders by extending uniquely ME! in the Hispanic community to help young Latinas develop the skills necessary to take advantage of life’s opportunities.”

UNILEVER BACKGROUND:

Unilever is one of the world's largest consumer products companies with annual sales of approximately $47 billion in 2002. It produces and markets a wide range of foods and home and personal care products. Unilever operates in 88 countries around the globe and employs approximately 258,000 people.

In the United States, Unilever sales were approximately $11 billion in 2002. It employs approximately 15,225 people and has 59 offices and manufacturing sites in 21 states.

The business comprises:

Home and Personal Care: Wisk, "all" and Surf laundry detergents; Snuggle fabric softener; Sunlight dish detergent; Lever 2000, Caress, Pond's and Vaseline skin care; the Dove family of anti-perspirant, skin- and hair-care products; the Suave family of anti-perspirant, skin- and hair-care products; Axe deodorant bodyspray for men; Q-tips cotton swabs; Mentadent oral care products; Finesse, Salon Selectives, and ThermaSilk hair care products; and Calvin Klein, Cerruti and Vera Wang prestige fragrances.