Families of Athletes Find Home at London Olympics

Procter & Gamble (P&G), a Worldwide Olympic Partner for this year's London Olympics, and the company behind such household brands such as Tide, Pampers and Gillette, has opened up their P&G Pavilion to the moms and families of Olympic athletes. As the company's campaign reiterates, to their Moms, these athletes will always be kids.  And they want to support them.

During the Games, the pavilion will be a place to relax, unwind and be together, allowing the families of more than 10,000 Olympians from around the world to connect with each other.

Having a Place to Call Your Own during the Olympics

"We asked athletes what we could do to support them here in London and they told us that Moms and families from around the world don’t have a place to really relax and be together at the Games," said Marc Pritchard, P&G’s Global Brand Building Officer. "We have been in the business of serving moms and families for 175 years. So it makes sense for us to celebrate the athletes by serving their moms and families."

The "P&G Family Home" has been designed to offer the comforts of home, taking advantage of the company's many products. Families can choose wellness treatments with Cover Girl and Olay products, a toddler playroom hosted by Pampers, and even a Tide-rinsed laundry service.

Additionally, the P&G Family Home is a communal place for watching the many rounds of Olympic competition, enjoy meals and logon with WiFi to stay in touch with family members who stayed at home.

Moms Appreciate Their "Home Away from Home" 

"In Beijing, we had a great time, but sometimes struggled to find a place for a quick meal and to meet up with the families of other athletes competing," said Ileana Lochte, mother to Team USA’s Ryan Lochte. "The P&G Family Home provides both of these resources, and I’m looking forward to getting to know moms whose kids compete in other sports and come from other countries."

"Thanks to P&G we are able to come to London and to enjoy these Olympic Games," said Ana Cristina Rodrigues Da Silva, mother to Team Brasilia’s Felipe Franca. "I can focus on supporting my son, and other mothers can do the same for their children when they compete. I’m very much looking forward to my time here in London, both to see my son compete and because my country will play host to the next Olympic Games."

"It means a great to deal to me to have a base in London," said Gao Xiuyu, mother to Team China’s Lin Dan. "It’s my first time here and I like knowing that there’s a place in the city where I can get together with other moms from around the world, because of P&G."

"I will appreciate having a home-away-from-home where I can relax, meet other families and hear about their experiences," said Lisbeth Matlou, mother to Team South Africa’s Noko Matlou. "The P&G Family Home provides me with what I need, so that I can be there for my child, cheering her on as she competes."

"Every mom knows that encouraging your kids to play sports is not just about raising champions," said Carol Hoy, mother to Team GB’s Sir Chris Hoy. "I was proud of Chris when he was a little boy winning the egg-and-spoon race, and I’m proud of him now as an Olympian. Thanks to P&G, I’ll be there to cheer him on in the Velodrome, and visit him in the P&G Family Home."

The "Thank You Mom" campaign is being brought to life across all media channels. Selling to more than 4.4 billion people around the world, P&G will also host an in-store retailer program of Olympic Games-themed P&G branded products through August.

And if you needed to show them more gratitude:  As part of the campaign, P&G has also committed to raise $5 million to support local youth sports programs through a portion of sales and donations.