Russell Simmons, Mary J. Blige give back to NYC schools

Procter & Gamble’s Bounty brand is teaming up with Mary J. Blige, Russell Simmons and dozens of local New York City-area volunteers from the HandsOn Network and Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation to “Make a Clean Difference” at New York City’s PS 165 Elementary School.

Bounty’s “Make a Clean Difference” program will unite more than 1,000 volunteers to transform the learning environments of 30 public schools in 10 cities across the country.

Mary J. Blige and Russell Simmons, a co-founder of Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, led the team of community volunteers in tackling everything from cleaning the cafeteria and auditorium to brightening up school grounds with a fresh coat of paint. Intended to inspire continued creativity in classroom, Rush’s teaching artist volunteers will also create a special mural at the school.

The Bounty “Make a Clean Difference” program will take place at 30 public schools in the following cities from April through June: Atlanta; GA; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Cincinnati, OH; Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Minneapolis, MN; New York, NY; Seattle, WA; and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/bounty.