An Estimated 1,200 DFW-Based PepsiCo and Frito-Lay Employees Kick-Off Live United Day with United Way 'Day of Caring'

PLANO, Texas, Oct. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Frito-Lay and PepsiCo employees from offices throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex today will take part in the fifth annual PepsiCo United Way Day of Caring. The event coincides with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas' third annual Live United Day and the launch of United Way Metropolitan Dallas' (UWMD) annual fundraising campaign. An estimated 1,200 PepsiCo and Frito-Lay associates will blanket the Metroplex, contributing 5,000 volunteer hours in a single day to dozens of North Texas United Way agencies. This brings the total collective volunteer hours contributed through PepsiCo United Way Day of Caring events over the last five years to more than 25,000.

Today, volunteers will take part in projects that include organizing donations, providing landscaping and facility maintenance, and conducting physical fitness activities with underprivileged students. All of the projects are designed to align with UWMD's focus on improving three specific areas: education, financial stability, and health and wellness. In addition, PepsiCo and Frito-Lay employees will support multiple projects targeting schools participating in United Way's Healthy Zone School (HZS) Recognition Program – a rigorous health and wellness program designed to recognize and reward schools for their healthy practices. PepsiCo's philanthropic arm, the PepsiCo Foundation, recently committed $700,000 in grant funding to expand HZS across metropolitan Dallas. 

"Five years ago, the PepsiCo United Way Day of Caring began as a simple proposition: build on our longstanding partnership with UWMD and create even greater opportunities for our associates to give back and improve the lives of others," said Tom Greco, president and CEO, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division and chair of the UWMD's 2014 fundraising campaign. "We are extremely proud of the impact this year's event will have on dozens of United Way agencies and our greater hope is that we inspire others throughout the Metroplex – from individuals to institutions – to find out how they can get involved and help others in their communities."

Each fall, Frito-Lay and DFW-based PepsiCo associates participate in a fundraising campaign to show their commitment to the community, investing more than $26 million in United Way programs over the last decade. Day of Caring activities provide a way for Frito-Lay and other DFW-based PepsiCo associates to volunteer their time to support a wide range of United Way programs.

"We are deeply grateful for the Frito-Lay/PepsiCo team's investment in North Texas," said Jennifer Sampson, president and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.  "PepsiCo gives back to the North Texas community on such a large scale!  Year after year, the incredibly generous support United Way receives from the business community far exceeds our highest expectations. By working together, we are ensuring that more students are prepared to succeed after high school, more families are becoming financially self-sufficient and more individuals are living healthier lives."

Volunteers will support the following DFW-area organizations during this year's PepsiCo United Way Day of Caring event:

• Bryan's House
• Caldwell Elementary School*
• ChildCareGroup
• Collin County Children's Advocacy Center (CCCAC)
• Family Compass
• Family Place
• Goodwill
• Jewish Family Services
• Mesquite Social Services
• Mi Escuelita
• Mosaic Family Services
• Nexus Recovery Center
• Pedi Place
• Rainbow Days
• Rugel Elementary School*
• Salvation Army
• The Samaritan Inn
• Thomas Elementary School*
• Titche Elementary School*
• Trinity River Mission
• Visiting Nurse Association
• Vickery Meadow Learning Center
• Vogel Alcove

For more information, please visit www.FritoLay.com or www.UnitedWayDallas.org.

About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http://www.fritolay.com/, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/fritolay.

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2013, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth in shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate

About United Way of Metropolitan Dallas
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas brings people together to improve lives and create lasting change here in North Texas by focusing on education, financial stability, and health -- the building blocks for strong families and thriving communities. We galvanize and connect all sectors of society – individuals, businesses, non-profits, and government – to create long-term change through investing in solutions that produce healthy, well-educated and financially stable individuals and families. We raise, invest and leverage over $50M annually in community-focused solutions serving Dallas, Collin, Rockwall and southern Denton counties. We do more than help one person beat the odds – we are changing the odds for entire communities. Together, we LIVE UNITED. To learn more, please visit UnitedWayDallas.org.

*Denotes school participating in HZS.

SOURCE Frito-Lay