Bayer HealthCare Release: MLB All-Star Pitcher CC Sabathia Issues Fast Relief Challenge to Generate Donations for the American Red Cross

MORRISTOWN, N.J., June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, All-Star Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher CC Sabathia teamed up with the makers of Bayer® Advanced Aspirin to issue the Fast Relief Challenge to help support the American Red Cross and its efforts to provide fast relief to Americans in need. For every person who visits www.FastReliefChallenge.com and clicks on the Red Cross button, the makers of Bayer Advanced Aspirin will donate $2 to the American Red Cross (up to a total of $100,000).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111011/NY83436LOGO )

"As a pitcher, I know fast relief plays an important role in baseball, but it is just as important for disaster relief efforts and pain relief. That's why I'm working with the makers of Bayer Advanced Aspirin, the 'Official Pain Reliever of Major League Baseball,' to raise donations for the American Red Cross," said CC Sabathia, All-Star pitcher. "Helping others has always been really important to me, especially when I know even the smallest actions can help families in need. A quick click on a website is all it takes to help the American Red Cross provide fast relief to communities who need it most."

In the spirit of friendly competition, consumers who participate in the click challenge can also enter the Fast Relief sweepstakes for the chance to win tickets to a Major League Baseball game, $50,000 for their local Red Cross chapters and a year's supply of Bayer Advanced Aspirin for fast relief. Additionally, consumers who have tried the product can rate their satisfaction and how fast Bayer Advanced Aspirin worked for them at FastReliefChallenge.com. For every consumer rating received, Bayer will donate an additional $1 to the American Red Cross (up to a total of $50,000) for fast relief.

"The Red Cross is grateful for the donations raised through programs like the Bayer Advanced Aspirin Fast Relief Challenge," said Charley Shimanski, Senior Vice President of Disaster Services at the American Red Cross. "People who click to donate help us provide relief in the form of food, shelter, emotional support, health services, clean-up supplies, and comfort items to those affected by the nearly 70,000 disasters each year."

Bayer is committed to providing fast relief when it comes to tough pain and and disaster relief. Bayer Advanced Aspirin can provide pain relief twice as fast as previous Bayer® Aspirin tablets after dental surgery. The 2012 MLB season marks the second consecutive year in which Bayer Advanced Aspirin is the "Official Pain Reliever of Major League Baseball" and will partner with the American Red Cross.

To support the Red Cross and enter the sweepstakes, visit FastReliefChallenge.com. Consumers can also receive coupons to try Bayer Advanced Aspirin.

About the Fast Relief Challenge
The Fast Relief Challenge asks consumers to try Bayer Advanced Aspirin for fast pain relief and provide feedback on how it worked for them. Once consumers have taken the Fast Relief Challenge they can rate their satisfaction and how fast it worked for them at FastReliefChallenge.com. For every consumer rating received, Bayer will donate $1 to the American Red Cross, up to a total of $50,000.

About the Fast Relief Sweepstakes
Consumers (18 and over in the US) can enter the Fast Relief sweepstakes for the chance to win. One Grand Prize winner will receive six tickets to attend a Major League Baseball (MLB) season game of winner's choice, a $50,000 donation to a local Red Cross chapter on his or her behalf, and a year's supply of Bayer Advanced Aspirin for fast relief.

The baseball games must take place September thru October 3 of 2012 or any game in 2013 and does not apply to playoff, All-Star or championship games). Exact game(s) and seat locations for 2012/2013 Regular Season games as applicable, shall be determined at sponsor's sole and absolute discretion.

A year's supply of Bayer Advanced Aspirin consists of 12 (40-count) bottles.

Consumers can visit FastReliefChallenge.com in order to access the online entry form for the sweepstakes or enter by mail by hand-printing the following: full name, address (including city, state and zip code), daytime and evening telephone numbers (including area codes), date of birth and e-mail address (optional) on a 3 1/2" x 5" card and mail it in an envelope with proper postage affixed. Send to: Bayer Advanced Aspirin Fast Relief Sweepstakes, PO Box 2399, Grand Rapids, MN 55745-2399. Online entries need to be received by 8/4/12 and mail in entries must be postmarked by 8/4/12 and received by 8/11/12 to be eligible. There is a limit of one entry per person per household or e-mail address regardless of method of entry.

Please visit FastReliefChallenge.com to view the official sweepstakes rules.

About Bayer Advanced Aspirin
Bayer Advanced Aspirin has been shown to relieve tough pain significantly faster than the previous Bayer Aspirin tablets after dental surgery.[i]

Bayer Advanced Aspirin temporarily relieves headache, menstrual pain, minor pain of arthritis, muscle pain, pain and fever of colds, and toothache. Adults and children, 12 and over, should carefully follow the recommended dosage on the product label. Children under 12 years should consult a doctor prior to using Bayer Advanced Aspirin.

About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of EUR 16.9 billion (2010), is one of the world's leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 55,700 employees (Dec 31, 2010) and is represented in more than 100 countries. Find more information at www.bayerhealthcare.com.

The Consumer Care division of Bayer HealthCare is headquartered in Morristown, N.J. Bayer's Consumer Care division is among the largest marketers of over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements in the world. Some of the most trusted and recognizable brands in the world today come from the Bayer portfolio of products. These include Bayer® Aspirin, Aleve®, Alka-Seltzer Plus®, Bactine®, RID®, Phillips'® Milk of Magnesia, Midol®, Alka-Seltzer®, One A Day® vitamins, and Flintstones vitamins in the United States, and, globally, Aspirin®, Flanax®/Apronax®, Talcid®, Rennie®, Canesten®, Bepanthen®, Bepanthol®, Supradyn®, Redoxon®, Berocca®, Cal-D-Vita/Elevit® and Vital 50 Plus®.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

[i] Cooper, S.A., Voelker, M. Evaluation of onset of pain relief from micronized aspirin in a dental pain model. Inflammopharmacology 2012 Jan 29; DOI 10.1007/s10787-012-0121-0.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

SOURCE Bayer HealthCare