Kimberly-Clark Lends a Hand to Students in Free Enterprise

In the Fayetteville community surrounding the University of Arkansas, 109 local residents boosted their computer skills, 512 high school students helped secure their future through a financial literacy workshop and 20 middle school students learned the value of ethical business practices.

This is just one community reaping the benefits of a partnership between Kimberly-Clark and Students in Free Enterprise. Since 1986, Kimberly-Clark has provided a helping hand to the nonprofit organization that brings together students at more than 1,400 colleges worldwide to develop projects that help raise the quality of life and standard of living for individuals within their community.

Kimberly-Clark’s involvement with Students in Free Enterprise began with a $5,000 investment and has grown through the years to $50,000 in 2008. For the last three years, Kimberly-Clark also has provided personalized Kleenex® boxes for the organization’s national competitions. Beyond the product and monetary investments, Kimberly-Clark employees have given hundreds of hours to mentor students and act as judges in the annual competitions that rate projects from each college team.

Such volunteers include Tony Dunning, Vice President of Sales for Kimberly-Clark, who serves on the Students in Free Enterprise board of directors. Since becoming involved with the organization more than 10 years ago, Tony has served as a judge at almost 20 regional and national competitions, most recently at the 2008 Students in Free Enterprise USA National Exposition. In 2006, Dunning was awarded the Champion of Students in Free Enterprise Award for his dedication to the organization. In addition, Karen Durand, customer marketing manager for Kimberly-Clark, participates as a mentor and member of the Students in Free Enterprise business advisory boards at the University of Arkansas, John Brown University and NorthWest Arkansas Community College.

“Through funding and donating thousands of volunteer hours, Kimberly-Clark is very supportive of Students in Free Enterprise and its mission of working with our students to make a difference in local communities while allowing them to develop the skills necessary to become socially responsible business leaders,” said Students in Free Enterprise President and CEO Alvin Rohrs.

With more than 34,000 students actively participating in the organization, Students in Free Enterprise helps change the lives of thousands of people in communities across the world. In Fayetteville, where Kimberly-Clark employees volunteer, the Students in Free Enterprise program taught 22 elementary school children state-required economic principles through Willy Walton’s Chocolate Factory day camp; raised $32,000 for the Northwest Arkansas Boys and Girls Clubs; and developed a SIFE program for a local elementary school that taught social responsibility through SIFE lessons to 31 children. These efforts earned the team a regional championship and a second runner-up placement in the opening round of competition at the national exposition.

“Kimberly-Clark is committed to helping the communities in which it operates, and is encouraged by organizations such as Students in Free Enterprise that also strive make a positive impact in their local communities,” Dunning said. “Students taking part in this program learn many valuable lessons about the principles of free enterprise and how to become responsible corporate citizens, another principle we take seriously at Kimberly-Clark.”

For more information regarding Students in Free Enterprise and its programs, please visit www.SIFE.org.

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