Do We Need Labels?

We all know that having a bowl of hot steamy soup is about filling our tummies - and perhaps about a nice warm up after a sojourn in the cold or wet.

But for Campbell Soup it's also about filling the coffers of some very needy folks and facilities - the institutions that teach your children.

More than 30 years ago Campbell introduced its Labels for Education program. This charitable idea produced or contributed extensively to several long-standing and noteworthy projects: Special Olympics, Labels for America, fire safety, fighting hunger, Read Across America, Champion Literacy, Tanner's Manners, Safe America, and the First Lego League. In addition, Campbell's Center for Nutrition and Wellness set up an informative site, http://campbellwellness.com, which teaches children and adult caregivers about staying healthy. The site offers healthy recipes as well as articles and tips on such topics as staying on your diet while dining out, managing stress, antioxidants and other valuable plant byproducts, and exercise while traveling.

Labels for America is about children helping children. Students sign up to volunteer for one of the Campbell's chosen charitable organizations or one of their own choosing. They then complete the Campbell participation form. Once approved, their school is awarded 500 bonus labels for each program, up to a total of 2000 labels per participating student.

Campbell's fire safety effort is a partnership with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to teach children and adults about how to keep themselves and their property safe from fire. When children participate in some way to National Fire Safety Week they earn bonus labels for their school.

The Campbell Soup First LEGO League is an exciting science organization that puts children together with FIRST, a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire students to explore the wonders of science and technology. Students who volunteer earn 500 bonus labels for their school. This fun-filled learning experience starts with a FIRST junior robotics kit and ends with a student and community team of engaged volunteers who learn from each other while building their robot.

These are just a few of the projects on the Campbell Labels for Education plate (or should I say bowl?)

Why does your school want these Campbell bonus labels? Well, they can be redeemed for valuable merchandise. You can also collect your own labels and submit them as well.

Campbell's massive array of education merchandise includes software, art, computers, cassettes, transportation, electronics, physical-education-related items and music. Your school's label redemption might provide your classroom with a TV/DVD/VCR combo, a flag set, a talking globe, or an easel for your teacher. Your art class could benefit from Labels for Education merchandise such as crayons, brushes, glue sticks and watercolor paint trays. Your school could earn a computer, scanner, printer or digital camera. Sports products for your gym include basketballs, footballs, jump ropes, batting tees, a power climber and even a parachute.

The products whose labels qualify for these great Labels for Education items are not as limited as a warm bowl of Campbell's Soup, however. The corporation's other labels - Franco American, Pepperidge Farm, Swanson, V8, Prego and Pace are eligible as well.