After two very successful seasons, it is time for season 2009, which will gather again one of the best players in Bulgaria and will give the audience the chance to take pleasure of  one of the most attractive and sexy sports in the world.The start of the tournaments was given in Plovdiv (29-30 May). The next tree will be played in Kurdjali (26-28 June), Varna (24-26 July) and Sofia (4-6 September). The best 12 male and 8 female couples will take part in the tournaments in Plovdiv and Kurdjali and Sofia.

This year is very special, because with the support of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, for the first time Bulgaria will be the host of a male tournament: CEV Challenger, which will be played in Varna by 16 couples.

During the tournaments of the M-tel Beach Masters 2008 the spectators had the opportunity to sign on giant beach balls in favour of the charity campaign, which was part of Henkel’s annual “Children project”. For each signature Henkel donated 1 euro for the Pediatric clinic of Alexandrovska hospital. At the beach volleyball finals in Sofia on September 7th, Darina Stoyanova, President of Henkel Bulgaria, handed a check for 5 000 euro to associate professor Penka Perenovska, who is in charge of the clinic.

This year the charity initiative – part of the “Children project” of Henkel Bulgaria, will benefit “For Our Children” foundation and its project “Don’t abandon me”. Statistics show that 97 percent of all children who live in orphanages have living parents. “For Our Children” foundation has been actively working for years to stop children abandonment after birth. There is no other nongovernment organization in Bulgaria which focuses on the prevention of this issue. The government policy is aimed at orphanage maintenance and alternative care for children, but it does not actively work to prevent abandonment. All media and the whole society are focused on the children who suffer the consequences of life in orphanages, but not on the prime cause of that – abandonment.

During the tournaments of the M-tel Beach Masters 2009 chain, spectators will once again have the opportunity to support the yearly “Children project” by signing symbolically on giant red beach balls. The funds provided will be donated for the “Don’t leave me campaign” on behalf of Henkel’s “Children project”.

For the “Children project”:
The annual “Children project” initiative of Henkel puts into practice Henkel‘s main corporate values – to make people‘s life easier, better and more beautiful. Each year the project performs social activities for the benefit of children. Thanks to the „Children project“ the following institutions have received financial help so far: Specialized Hospital for Children with Onkohematological Diseases, The orphanage in Razliv village, Specialized Hospital for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Resource Center in Haskovo (equipment for blind children), Hospital for Active Treatment and Therapy of Children with Cerebral Paralysis, Special High School for Children with Hearing Impediments in Sofia, Pediatric Clinic of Alexandrovska hospital in Sofia.

<sup>Contact:

Marianna Uzunova
Corporate Communications
Henkel Bulgaria

Phone: +359 88 860 27 26
e-mail: marianna.uzunova@bg.henkel.com</sup>