ROCKY HILL, Conn., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- What's better than asking kids to share their artistic visions for a more sustainable world? Displaying their creations in the renowned art gallery spaces of the Society of Illustrators for all the world to see. Henkel, a Fortune Global 500 company dedicated to making people's lives easier, better and more beautiful with its brands and technologies, announces the Grand Prize Winners of the Henkel Helps Create! Kids' Art Contest. Selected by Celebrity Judges from the virtual galleries at www.HenkelHelps.com, four children have been awarded a trip to New York City to participate in a gallery event showcasing their winning submissions.

"Henkel was delighted to receive a vast array of submissions from children nationwide eager to make their world a better place," said Natalie Violi, Director, Corporate Communications. "There is nothing more important than planning for a sustainable future, and we are pleased the Henkel Helps Create! Art Contest provided children with a forum for sharing their ideas."

During the judging period, Grand Prize Winners were selected by the Celebrity Judges, including contemporary artist Romero Britto, Fancy Nancy author Jane O'Connor, Sotheby's Auction House Print Specialist Courtney Booth and Anelle Miller, Director of the Society of Illustrators. The Grand Prize Winners are:

    --  Budding Artists, Ages 2-5: Ariana, Port Saint Lucie, FL
    --  Creative Kids, Ages 6-9: Paul, Raleigh, NC
    --  Crafty Creators, Ages 10-13: Alyssa, Irmo, SC

    --  Talented Teens, Ages 14-18: Helen, Ithaca, NY

On November 5, the Henkel Helps Create! Grand Prize Winners and their artwork will be on display in a gallery event hosted by New York City's renowned Society of Illustrators, home to the American Museum of Illustration. Grand Prize Winners will also receive a cash prize of $1,000 to be used toward their future education.

In addition to the Celebrity Judges' Grand Prize Winners selections, visitors to the Henkel Helps Create! virtual galleries were invited to select four Voters' Choice Winners, each of whom was awarded $500 toward arts and crafts purchases. Their creations may be viewed at www.HenkelHelps.com.

To view the Henkel Helps Create! Grand Prize Winners and finalists, click here. To learn more about the Henkel Helps Create! Kids' Art Contest and November 5 art gallery event, please visit www.HenkelHelps.com, join our group on Facebook and follow the latest contest news on Twitter @HenkelHelps.

About Henkel

Henkel markets a wide range of well-known consumer and industrial brands in North America, including Dial® soaps, Purex® laundry detergents, Right Guard® antiperspirants, got2b® hair gels, and Loctite® adhesives. Visit www.henkelna.com for more information. Henkel has been committed to making people's lives easier, better and more beautiful for more than 130 years. A Fortune Global 500 and Germany's most admired company according to a recent Fortune survey, Henkel offers strong brands and technologies in three areas of competence: Home Care, Personal Care and Adhesive Technologies. Each day, more than 52,000 employees in 125 countries are dedicated to fulfilling Henkel's claim "A Brand like a Friend." In fiscal 2008, Henkel generated sales of $20.8 billion and adjusted operating profit of $2.1 billion.

About Henkel Helps Create! Kids' Art Contest

HenkelHelps.com invited children to submit their artwork in four categories by age: Budding Artists (ages 2-5), Creative Kids (ages 6-9), Crafty Creators (ages 10-13) and Talented Teens (ages 14-18). Children were encouraged to use any arts and crafts tools at their disposal to put their visions on paper, and could also include a short caption with their artwork. Entries had to be submitted by a parent or legal guardian and were required to be uploaded in JPG file format at www.HenkelHelps.com. Submissions were accepted from August 2, 2009 through September 13, 2009 at 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time. No purchase was necessary to enter and it was void where prohibited. Contest was open to legal residents of the 50 United States who were 18 years of age or older.

SOURCE Henkel