FEATURE/Good news from great kids across the nation; Celebrity judges announce top winners of 23rd annual "Youth for America" campaign.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--June 7, 1996--Top winners in the 23rd annual search for the country's best community projects by young Americans were announced this week as part of Colgate's Youth for America campaign.

The program, established in 1972 to encourage community responsibility, and spotlight the positive side of young Americans, awards cash grants to local units of six leading youth organizations - Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, Girls Incorporated, Camp Fire and 4-H - representing some 13 million members.

In discussing the campaign, Michele Macchia the program's Executive Director commented, "This year's entries tackle some of today's most common problems in creative, often ingenious ways, proving that our kids are truly committed to their country and up to any challenge when it comes to building a better tomorrow for themselves."

Celebrity judges Jack Wagner of TV's "Melrose Place," Lacy Chabert of "Party of Five," David Charvet and Yasmine Bleeth of "Baywatch," announced the top winners from among thousands of entries that evidence the creativity and concern of today's kids.

"The First Texas Council of Camp Fire" from Ft. Worth, Texas, took top honors as best of all entries for the "Special Sitters" program. Members are trained by professionals to provide child care for special needs children. The group was awarded $1,000 as best Camp Fire entry and an additional $1,000 as the campaign's Bonus Prize winners.

Other First Place winners of $1,000 are: The Boys & Girls Club of Milwaukee, Wis., implemented a youth credit union run exclusively by and for its members. Students deposit portions of their allowance and can borrow at rates determined by the board of directors. The "Youth Credit Union" program teaches computer skills, saving habits and the financial operations of banks. "The Girls Scouts of DuPage County" from Roselle, Ill. created comfort kits for children at a family services center. Scouts donated stuffed toys from their own collection, cut and sewed rainbow colored backpacks for each, and added small toys, a security blanket and a pad and pencil. The "Rainbow Friends" were given to abused children living at the center or used to counsel children entering foster care. "The Star Seekers 4-H Club" from Bartlett, Ill. helped form a sister club for residents of a learning center for disabled children. Members guided the "Bartlett Angels" through the induction process and got them started with their first project, the donation of stuffed toys for paramedics to carry for injured children. "Boy Scout Troop 725" from Midland, Mich., performed community work to raise money to buy movies and games for the pediatrics unit of a local hospital and "Girls Incorporated of Cobb County" from Marietta, Ga. implemented a program called "Girls Under The Hood," that introduces basic auto maintenance and repair, skills not traditionally offered to young women.

Some 237 additional cash grant winners were awarded to local clubs and troops across the nation. To date, Colgate-Palmolive Co. has awarded more than $5.5 million to America's young people through "Youth for America." The program has been honored by The White House under five different administrations, has received a Freedoms Foundation Award and is praised each year by members of Congress and countless governors and mayors throughout the country.

Entry forms for the 1996/97 "Youth for America" campaign will be available this fall through local offices of the six national youth organizations or by sending a stamped self-addressed envelope to Colgate's Youth for America at P.O. Box 1058, FDR Station, New York, N.Y. 10150-1058. Visit Our Web site www.colgate.com where you can click on "Colgate for Kids" for further details and print an entry form from your computer screen.

CONTACT: David Forman, 212/736-0564

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