ANN ARBOR, MI - The Scrub Club today announced the winners of the Clean Hands Game, which challenged elementary teachers and students across the country to start scrubbing to demonstrate their best hand washing habits. Created by NSF International, a public health and safety organization, the Scrub Club® is a fun and interactive Web site that teaches children the proper way to wash their hands.

The winners of the Clean Hands Game include:

• Barb Meduna's sixth grade class, South Heart School, South Heart, North Dakota
• Janet Edmondson's second grade class, Sunnyslope School, Riverside, California
• Theresa Barker's sixth grade class, St. Vincent De Paul School, Bedford, Indiana
• Carolyn Kenley's sixth grade class, Westmore Elementary, Orem, Utah
• Debbie Knott and Richel Eskridge's first grade class, South Routt Elementary School, Yampa, Colorado
• Peggy Barnes and Cindy Ashley's kindergarten class., South Routt Elementary School, Yampa, Colorado
• Molly Johnson's fourth grade class, Farley Elementary, Huntsville, Alabama
• Jean Kennedy's fifth grade class, Farley Elementary, Huntsville, Alabama
• Danyell Dancer & Latia Sloan's kindergarten-sixth grade group, Lakewest YMCA, Dallas, Texas
• Leatha Dvorak's kindergarten-sixth grade after school program, Andes Central Elementary School, Lake Andes, South Dakota

The Clean Hands Game was launched to help raise awareness about the importance of hand washing. To participate in the Clean Hands Game, educators had to track how many times each student washed his or her hands over a period of one month and submit their results to NSF International. Each of the winners listed above will receive a certificate of achievement for their hand washing efforts and a $100 gift card to spend on school supplies.

"We are happy to see that the Clean Hands Game has helped us raise awareness about hand washing. The kids now have a better understanding of why it is so important to have clean hands to help stay healthy," said Erin Havel, Health Services, South Routt Elementary School. "It was also great to see how the students and their parents responded so positively to the game. They really enjoyed the friendly competition."

The Scrub Club Web site is a free resource that features activities for kids, including an interactive Webisode about the Soaper-Heroes and their battle against harmful germs and bacteria. Educational materials (in French, Spanish and English) for teachers, as well as information for parents are also available at scrubclub.org.

"NSF's mission is to improve and protect public health, and that mission starts in the classroom with education," said NSF President and Chief Executive Officer Kevan P. Lawlor. "Our goal was that the Clean Hands Game would function as a tool for educators to teach children about proper hand washing habits at an early age. I congratulate the winners for showing great leadership and commitment to such an important practice."

About the Scrub Club®
NSF's Scrub Club®, launched in 2004, is a series of Web-based, interactive resources designed to teach children proper hand washing techniques and hygiene habits. Each of the Scrub Club® Soaper Heroes represents one of the six steps in the hand washing process - "Hot Shot" and "Chill" combine to make warm water essential for proper hand washing; "Squeaks" turns into various forms of soap; "Taki" becomes a clock that counts down the required 20 seconds for proper hand washing; "Scruff" reminds kids to clean around their nails; "Tank" turns into a sink to rinse away the germs; and "P.T." transforms into paper towels.

The free Web site includes activities for kids, educational materials for teachers, as well as information for parents. Interactive games "Stop Fluin' Around" and "Big E's Grossest Hits" teach kids how to protect themselves from Influenza and E. coli. The cornerstone of the Web site is a Webisode or cartoon featuring the Scrub Club® as they join forces to fight off harmful germs and bacteria, teaching children the proper way to wash their hands along the way. The first Webisode, "The Good, the BAC, and the Ugly," finds the Scrub Club® battling the loathsome, but loveable character BAC (from the Partnership for Food Safety Education's Fight BAC! public education campaign), and one of his partners in "grime" Sal Monella in a wild-west themed adventure. For additional information, visit www.scrubclub.org.

About NSF International: NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water and consumer goods (www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, organic certification provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.