SC Johnson Donates Millions of OFF! Personal Repellents in the U.S.

Written on: July 27, 2016 by SprayTM

With the United States in peak mosquito season, SC Johnson announced it will make its largest donation to date of OFF! mosquito repellent. Almost $4 million of the DEET-based personal repellent will be provided to leading organizations for distribution to needy families in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. This donation is part of SC Johnson’s commitment to donate at least $15 million over the next year to help protect against the mosquitoes that may carry Zika and other diseases.

Today’s contributions will go to the following organizations:

• The American Red Cross will receive OFF! sprays for distribution to volunteers and those impacted in disaster relief operations across the U.S., like the ongoing efforts to assist flood victims in northern Wisconsin and West Virginia. The Red Cross is currently using a donation of OFF! from this spring; this current donation will replenish its supply.
• AmeriCares will be given cans of OFF! aerosol to help protect low-income and uninsured families in the southern United States and Puerto Rico.
• Feeding America will receive OFF! products that will be made available to partner food banks in states at greatest risk of Zika.

“Mosquito season is here in the United States and concern about Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases is growing. The people of SC Johnson want to provide whatever support we can,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. “These well-respected organizations engage in critical work and reach specific populations at risk for Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases. Through them, we can help to reach hundreds of thousands of families in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.  We’re proud to partner with them to help protect those in need from mosquitoes.”

“When disasters happen, the need to protect our clients and workers from mosquitoes is of the utmost importance,” said Patty Flowers, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross in Wisconsin. “Having a partner like SC Johnson who understands our needs and will go the extra mile makes all the difference when we’re providing relief and support across the country and around the world.”

“Our Zika response is focused on prevention and education, and mosquito repellent is a critical component,” said AmeriCares Medical Officer Dr. Julie Varughese. “With help from SC Johnson, we are reducing the risk of transmission for thousands of families in high-risk communities.”

“The Feeding America network serves more than 46 million people, including children and seniors.  We are grateful to partners like SC Johnson who support the overall health and well-being of people in need,” said Karen Hanner, Managing Director of Manufacturing and Product Sourcing at Feeding America.

Today’s donations are the latest announcement in SC Johnson’s ongoing efforts to provide up to $15 million in resources globally to help protect against mosquitoes this year. To date, more than $7 million of OFF!  products and financial donations have been provided to organizations to aid in mosquito protection around the world, especially those regions with high risk of Zika virus and dengue fever outbreaks. 

In coordination with the CDC Foundation, SC Johnson supported the Zika Action Plan Summit held by the White House and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on April 1, and also donated to the CDC’s Zika prevention kits. Donations have also been made to the American Red Cross, the International Federation of the Red Cross, PSI, AmeriCares, the Rio de Janeiro-based Children’s Health Association and the County of Hawaii Civil Defense Agency.

SC Johnson is the world’s largest manufacturer of insect repellents and household insecticides, including OFF!, Autan, Raid and Baygon. For nearly 60 years, SC Johnson entomologists have studied insects at the Entomology Research Center (ERC) located in Racine. The ERC is the largest private, urban entomology research facility in the world.