Tostitos and the USO Honor U.S. Military During Fiesta Bowl Halftime With 'Salute the Troops Bowl' Tribute

GLENDALE, Ariz., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking its 15th year as title sponsor of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division and Tostitos brand, along with the USO, today honored active military serving overseas by showcasing highlights from the first-ever "Salute the Troops Bowl" during the halftime broadcast of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on FOX. The "Salute the Troops Bowl" -- which put teams of former college football all-stars and active military heroes in a head-to-head flag football game in Iraq -- resulted from a partnership between the USO and the Tostitos brand to bring a one-of-a-kind college football experience to service members serving in the Persian Gulf.

As a part of the halftime broadcast, the Tostitos brand also presented the USO with a $200,000 contribution to aid the organization's continued mission of supporting U.S. troops and their families wherever they serve.

"We're thankful to Frito-Lay, and specifically the Tostitos brand, for this generous donation on the heels of this unique college football event for our brave men and women overseas during the holidays," said Sloan Gibson, president, USO. "The coaches and college football legends that gave up their holidays to bring a touch of home to troops should be commended. It was a dream come true for our military heroes to play alongside some of their favorite football legends."

"We feel honored to have partnered with the USO and to have helped serve its mission through the 'Salute the Troops Bowl,'" said Justin Lambeth, vice president, marketing, Tostitos. "The Tostitos brand has always seen college football as a unique way to bring people together to share fun, memorable experiences, and we are extremely pleased that we were able to share a taste of home with true heroes this holiday season."

The first-ever "Salute the Troops Bowl," which was held at Camp Liberty in Iraq on January 1, 2010, provided troops with a complete college football bowl experience that revolved around an all-star flag football game and also included a pre-game pep rally and tailgate party. The football game put legendary college football coaches Barry Switzer and Tommy Bowden at the helm of two teams composed of former college all stars and active military heroes for a truly unique showdown. The teams included:

Team Freedom, Coach Barry Switzer

• SPC Keven Adside, Macon, GA
• SPC Ryan Bale, Shelton, WA
• Brian Bosworth - University of Oklahoma, winner of the first two Butkus Awards
• Tony Casillas - University of Oklahoma, NCAA National Championship in 1985
• Ty Detmer - Brigham Young University, Heisman Trophy winner in 1990
• SGT Bryeem Garner, Philadelphia, PA
• SSG Cecil Graham, Roanoke, VA
• SPC Phillip Hall, Los Angeles, CA
• SGT Sean Harrell, Jacksonville, FL
• SPC Eric Johnson, Miami, FL
• MAJ William Manley, Wilmington, NC
• SFC Rashad Mclean, Tampa, FL
• SPC Daniel Oubre, Orlando, FL
• SFC Antwion Peyton, Tampa, FL
• MSG James Roundtree, Brooklyn, NY
• Joe Washington - University of Oklahoma, two-time first-team All-American

Team Liberty, Coach Tommy Bowden

• SPC Aaron Decker, Marshfield, WI
• Daniel DeMars, Marshfield, WI
• Tommie Frazier - University of Nebraska, NCAA National Championships in 1994, 1995
• SrA Karrington Harrison, Toledo, OH
• Rocket Ismail - University of Notre Dame, NCAA National Championship in 1988
• SrA Greg Jones, Columbus, MS
• SSG Bret Magolski, Marshfield, WI
• CPT Richard Martin
• Tee Martin - University of Tennessee
• SPC John Marz, Marshfield, WI
• Julian Merelopez, South Plainfield, NJ
• PO3 Derek Messenger, Des Moines, IO
• SGT Angel Powell, Marshfield, WI
• Bruce Smith - Virginia Tech University
• SSG Elliot Trubee, Marshfield, WI
• SGT Eric Trubee, Marshfield, WI

The "Salute the Troops Bowl" was highlighted by an exciting passing game on both sides in front of an enthusiastic crowd ready for the full football experience. Scoring was dominated by the military players, which made for an exciting game for all at Camp Liberty. After four quarters of flag-football action, the Barry Switzer-led "Team Freedom" took home the win in a 36-8 victory over Tommy Bowden's "Team Liberty."

"These brave men and women weren't able to experience the excitement of the bowl season, so we brought the thrill to them, complete with some of their favorite college football legends," said former University of Oklahoma Coach Barry Switzer. "It was something I know I won't forget and I hope they feel the same."

The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases around the world, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services tailored to meet troop needs. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families, and the families of the fallen.

The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency; we rely on the generosity of our donors. In addition to individual donors and other corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, S & K Sales Co. and TriWest Healthcare Alliance, as well as other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). We strive to deliver maximum benefit for troops and their families from every donor dollar. For more information, please visit www.uso.org.

Frito-Lay North America is the $12 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo business units include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate Web site, www.fritolay.com and the Snack Chat blog, www.snacks.com.

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses -- Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade -- also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in over 200 countries. With more than $43 billion in 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 people who are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

    Contact:
    Chris Kuechenmeister
    Frito-Lay
    214-422-8901 cell
    [email protected]

    Oname Thompson
    USO
    703-908-6471
    [email protected]

SOURCE Frito-Lay