Sep. 3, 2009 (PR Newswire) --

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Dee Mills became a gold star mother when her Marine son, Lea, was killed while serving in Iraq. Her unimaginable loss and her son's heroic service inspired Dee to establish Lea's Prayer & Postage, becoming a hero herself to many serving overseas. Dee says, "Once a Marine Mom, always a Marine Mom," and since then has dedicated herself to helping military men and women. Through Lea's Prayers & Postage, Dee has made it her mission to help fund postage for care packages shipped to the troops. "Mama Dee", as she is affectionately referred to, believes it is unacceptable that there is even the slightest possibility a care package might not make it to the troops because of cost. Her energy is boundless as she creatively finds ways to fund her program. With Dee at the helm of "Lea's Prayers & Postage," thousands of packages have been shipped to loved ones serving our country.

For her perseverance and dedication, Dee Mills has been selected as the fifth inductee in the Energizer Keep Going(R) Hall of Fame, and on September 3, 2009 in St. Louis, MO will join the ranks of previous inductees Cal Ripken Jr., John O'Leary of St. Louis, MO, Melanie Goldish of Chicago, IL and Ron Bachman of Plymouth, MI.

"I'm honored to be included in the Energizer Keep Going Hall of Fame alongside someone like Dee Mills," said Ripken, Jr. "The Energizer Keep Going(R) Hall of Fame celebrates the best in all of us and I salute her."

Out of ten finalists, Dee was selected by a public online vote at www.energizer.com/halloffame, as this year's inductee into the Energizer Keep Going Hall of Fame, established to honor everyday people who best embody the characteristics of endurance and the power to never quit, like the Energizer Bunny(R) and the batteries he represents. Each online vote triggered a donation to the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, raising $10,000 for the organization Ripken, Jr. founded in honor of his father.

"All the nominations we received were truly inspirational, but Dee's story obviously stood out for those who visited the Energizer Keep Going(R) Hall of Fame online," said Betsy Laakko, Director of Marketing for Energizer. "We're proud to have her as part of the Energizer Keep Going Hall of Fame - she truly represents the qualities we all so admire in the Energizer Bunny."

As the winner, Mills will receive a $10,000 cash award and a $5,000 donation to help her

program, "Lea's Prayers & Postage." She will also participate in a special induction ceremony at the Company's world headquarters in St.