Reckitt Benckiser, the #1 manufacturer of household cleaning products in the world, announced today that it has started a special matching fund program for its employees throughout North America to show their support for the thousands of families affected by the terrible events. The new fund, established in association with The United Way, allows contributions made by Reckitt Benckiser's North American employees to be matched dollar for dollar by the Company without limit.

"We have all been touched by the tragic events that have unfolded in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania," said Reckitt Benckiser CEO Bart Becht. "Our employees want to show their support for the many families that have lost loved ones to the attacks. Checks are pouring in from our employees all over North America. Many colleagues in Reckitt Benckiser offices throughout the world have come forward to make contributions to the fund."

This week, Reckitt Benckiser also made a donation of $50,000 to the United Way Community Response Fund and has placed on standby several truckloads of household and food products that are ready to assist in the cleanup when relief agencies give the go-ahead for delivery. The Company has also teamed up with Outback Steakhouse and Subway to help provide more than 12,000 meals per day for rescue workers and volunteers engaged in the round-the-clock effort to locate and rescue survivors at the World Trade Center.

"Reckitt Benckiser salutes the legions of brave police officers, fire fighters, emergency rescue workers, doctors, nurses, counselors and volunteers engaged in the round-the-clock effort to find and tend to survivors," Becht said.

Reckitt Benckiser Inc. is a leading global consumer products company. In North America, Reckitt Benckiser markets leading brands in both the Household Cleaning and Condiment categories, generating more than $1.8 billion in sales annually. The company manufactures and markets world-class products, including LYSOL disinfectants, WIZARD air fresheners, FRENCH'S mustards, RESOLVE carpet cleaners, JET-DRY rinse agents, ELECTRASOL automatic dishwasher detergents and many other consumer-preferred brands. The North American business is headquartered in Wayne, NJ, with offices and facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada, and is a subsidiary of UK-based Reckitt Benckiser plc.