CINCINNATI, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its ongoing commitment to helping those affected by natural disaster, Tide Loads of Hope launched the "1,000 Load Challenge" to rally Americans to show their support for the program. Tide is asking consumers around the nation to help them reach a goal of selling "1,000 loads" of Tide vintage t-shirts. If America reaches the goal, Tide Loads of Hope will donate $50,000 to its long-time partner and the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief charity, Feeding America, to help disaster victims. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of the Tide Loads of Hope vintage tees will continue to aid families who have been affected by natural disaster. The tees can be purchased for $20 by visiting www.TideLoadsofHope.com.

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For the past four years, Tide Loads of Hope has provided free laundry services to families and relief workers in the wake of major disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav and Ike, the California wildfires and the floods in Fargo, ND. The Tide Loads of Hope t-shirts, made by popular vintage tee brand Junk Food Clothing, were created to provide consumers with a way to get involved and help support the program through their purchase.

"Over the past four years, we've witnessed the devastating effects of natural disaster and through Tide Loads of Hope we've learned that little things, like clean clothing, can make a big difference for those in need," says Suzanne Watson, Tide Associate Marketing Director. "We're excited to launch the 1,000 Load Challenge to continue our efforts to support families affected by natural disaster, and rally the support of people across the country. Every t-shirt purchase helps to make a difference."

People can also get involved by purchasing specially-marked bottles of Tide detergent, identifiable by their distinct yellow cap and front label featuring a collage of the "faces of hope:" people who have persevered after experiencing the devastation of a natural disaster in their community. 10 cents from every purchase goes toward helping families affected by disasters.

The Tide Loads of Hope program features a truck outfitted with 32 energy-efficient Frigidaire® Affinity(TM) washers and dryers that can do 300 wash and dry cycles a day (the average American family does 392 loads per year). The program has also expanded to include a fleet of vans that can pick up and drop off laundry to local laundromats. Relief workers, first responders and individuals in areas affected are able to drop off their laundry to be washed, dried and folded by the Tide Loads of Hope team, free of charge. The truck and vans are implemented after consultation with disaster relief agencies and local emergency management officials when significant disasters occur and there is a widespread need for clean clothing.

Tide Loads of Hope first launched in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to provide clean clothes for affected families in New Orleans. The resilience and spirit of the people of New Orleans inspired Tide to expand the program and to provide laundry service to help families nationwide. To date, Tide has washed over 30,000 loads of laundry for more than 20,000 families.

For more information on Tide Loads of Hope or to purchase a vintage tee as part of the "1,000 Loads Challenge," please visit www.tideloadsofhope.com. You can also follow Tide Loads of Hope on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TideLoadsOfHope or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Tide.

About Tide®

For over 60 years, Tide® has been caring for the clothes of American families and helping to provide the everyday miracle of clean clothing. To meet consumers' diverse laundry needs, Tide offers its cleaning in a variety of products including Tide Total Care, Tide with Febreze Freshness, Tide Coldwater, Tide with a Touch of Downy, Tide with Bleach Alternative, Tide Stain Release, Tide High Efficiency and 2X Ultra Tide Liquid. For consumers' on-the-go stain removal needs, Tide to Go helps remove fresh food and drink stains on the spot. Visit www.tide.com for helpful product information, practical tips on laundry care, special offers and promotions and more.

About Feeding America

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 25 million Americans each year, including 9 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks operate 63,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit www.feedingamerica.org.

SOURCE Procter & Gamble