SINGAPORE –Proctor & Gamble continued its “Thank You, Mom” initiative for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, offering funds to help offset travel expenses for families traveling to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games. Janet Brewster, mother of Hunter Brewster who represented the United States in trampoline, was one of three U.S. moms selected as recipients of the travel stipends for the Youth Olympic Games. The Brewsters live in Lafayette, La.
The entire Brewster family was able to travel to Singapore to cheer on Hunter. The significance of the family trip goes far beyond the miles traveled, because Janet’s middle son Chris – Hunter’s brother – is battling a rare form of cancer, Ewing’s Sarcoma. Doctors found a tumor growing on the side of Chris’ head less than a year ago, and he immediately underwent emergency surgery. Since then, he has undergone 14 chemo and radiation treatments and has four to go. Through St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Janet was able to find a doctor based in Singapore so that Chris could travel to cheer on his brother.
“I’m so glad we can all be here to support Hunter,” Janet said. “As a family, we’ve gone through a lot since ’09. I’m so proud of both my boys for finding their own ways. They root each other on. Hunter says his hero is his brother for fighting cancer. And, Chris is so excited to be here to cheer on Hunter. Hunter has worked so hard. It’s a dream come true.”
With their travel already purchased, the Brewsters donated the P&G stipend to the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative, which uses 100 percent of donations for research to find a cure.
“So far Chris is doing well,” Janet Brewster said. “The cancer has been cleared but we hope and pray he continues to do well.”
Recognizing the essential role that families play in a Youth Olympic athlete’s life, P&G is defraying travel and lodging costs for 25 moms from across the globe so that they can share their child’s Youth Olympic Games experience in Singapore. Moms from 15 countries were selected to participate in the ‘Thank You Mom’ program at the YOG, from Argentina to Indonesia to Turkey. In addition to Brewster, the two other U.S. moms recognized were Mandy Hixon, mother of diver Michael Hixon; and Karen Kimball, mother of fencer Will Spear.
The ‘Thank You Mom’ campaign launched at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, where P&G defrayed the travel and lodging costs for the mom of every U.S. Olympian and Paralympian. The program will continue with a series of initiatives after Singapore through the London 2012 Olympic Games. Thank You Mom initiatives will support thousands of moms from around the world during events such as holidays, Mother’s Day and Olympic qualifying events.
“P&G recognizes the sacrifice that families, and often moms, make to help children achieve their Olympic dreams and we are proud to be able to say ‘thank you’ to those moms in a meaningful way,” said P&G Global Marketing and Brand Building Officer Marc Pritchard. “We also celebrate the families of the athletes because we know they didn’t make it here alone. We will continue our ‘Thank You Mom’ campaign on the road to 2012 and will be touching the lives of thousands of moms throughout the next few years at important events in their athletes’ lives.”
P&G is a sponsor of USA Gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee.