BUFFALO WILD WINGS® AND MTN DEW LEGEND® TEAM UP WITH BASKETBALL STARS KLAY THOMPSON & A'JA WILSON TO REVAMP LOCAL BASKETBALL COURTS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEGENDS

Newly designed courts created in partnership with Project Backboard and local artists were unveiled during special community events in San Francisco, California, and Columbia, South Carolina

ATLANTA and PURCHASE, N.Y., Nov. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Buffalo Wild Wings^® and Mtn Dew Legend^® recruited basketball superstars Klay Thompson and A'ja Wilson to surprise local communities in San Francisco, CA and Columbia, SC, with refurbished basketball courts ahead of the holiday season. In partnership with nonprofit Project Backboard, this all-star team worked with local artists to build fun and inspiring places for youth athletes to grow their love for the game.

On November 9, 4X Champion and 5X All-Star, Klay Thompson hit the court in California to unveil the upgraded and redesigned space at KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory school. The new court features the work of local artist Abriella Sammy and Luis Perez of Hero Flooring, LLC. Excited KIPP students and school officials packed the gym and participated in an epic 3-point competition hosted by Thompson, a phenomenal shooting guard known for his signature shot.

"Having an inspiring place to play is important to any athlete, which is why partnering with Buffalo Wild Wings and Mtn Dew Legend to revamp this court for the community has been so rewarding," said Thompson. "San Francisco has become my home and I care about this community deeply --I cannot wait to see the future legends that will dominate the game on this new court."

Simultaneously, across the country on November 12, power forward A'ja Wilson visited her hometown of Columbia, SC to unveil a new community court at Hyatt Park. The 2X MVP and 4X All-Star addressed the crowd and performed a ceremonial "first layup" on the revamped court designed by local artists, Charmaine Minniefield and Cienna Minniefield. 

"Growing up in South Carolina and having a space to call my 'home court' has shaped me into the person and athlete that I am today," said A'ja Wilson. "I chose to upgrade the basketball court at Hyatt Park, near my grandparents' house, to provide this incredible community with a space for the next generation of legends to play and perfect their craft. I'm grateful to partner with Buffalo Wild Wings and Mtn Dew Legend to give back to the place that has given me so much."

"Our partnership with Buffalo Wild Wings is all about celebrating sports and creating incredible experiences for the fans that love them," said Scott Finlow, Chief Marking Officer, PepsiCo Global Foodservice. "This community effort was a big win for us. It was an honor to partner with Buffalo Wild Wings and basketball legends, Klay and A'ja, to create something special for these communities and support these local athletes as they make legendary moves on and off the court."  

"Whether watching or playing sports, we understand that the environment can sometimes make or break the experience," said Stuart Brown, Executive Director of Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation. "It's our hope that by reimagining these courts with Mtn Dew Legend and two legendary basketball players, we're fueling the champions of the next generation."

The refurbished courts at KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory in San Francisco, CA and Hyatt Park in Columbia, SC are officially open and ready for the legends of tomorrow to make their mark. Fans can stay up to date on the latest by following @BWW and @MountainDew on Twitter and Instagram.  

This court refurbishing program is an extension of the longstanding relationship between Buffalo Wild Wings and PepsiCo. Earlier this year, the pair unveiled Mtn Dew Legend, a new, exclusive flavor of Mtn Dew that delivers a bold burst of blackberry flavor and serves as the perfect assist to Buffalo Wild Wings' extensive menu of gameday favorites.

Buffalo Wild Wings, founded in 1982, is the largest sports bar brand in the United States. Globally, there are more than 1,200 restaurants in nine countries. Buffalo Wild Wings is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit BuffaloWildWings.com and InspireBrands.com.

The Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation, the charitable arm of Buffalo Wild Wings, is committed to fueling champions of the next generation.  Building on a philanthropic heritage that has contributed more than $26 million to youth-related causes since 2013, the BWW Foundation is working to build legendary communities where kids thrive by investing in organizations that provide access to youth sports, meals, and other resources.  Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation is a division of the Inspire Brands Foundation, which is a registered 501(c)(3).

MOUNTAIN DEW^®, a product of PepsiCo North America Beverages, is the No. 1 flavored carbonated soft drink in the U.S. With its one-of-a-kind citrus taste, MOUNTAIN DEW exhilarates and quenches with every sip. In addition to the original MOUNTAIN DEW and DIET MOUNTAIN DEW^®, the permanent DEW^® product line includes MTN DEW^® KICKSTART^™, MOUNTAIN DEW^® CODE RED^®, MOUNTAIN DEW VOLTAGE®, MTN DEW® Zero Sugar, MTN DEW MAJOR MELON®, MTN DEW MAJOR MELON Zero Sugar, MTN DEW SPARK^™ and MTN DEW SPARK Zero Sugar. For more information, check out www.mountaindew.com, www.facebook.com/mountaindew or follow on Twitter @mountaindew.

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

Project Backboard is a 501(c)(3) organization, founded in 2015, whose mission is to renovate public basketball courts and install large scale works of site-specific art on the surface in order to strengthen communities, improve park safety, encourage multi-generational play, and inspire people to think more critically and creatively about their environment.

Media Contacts
Corey Manuel, [email protected]  
Rena Daum, [email protected]

SOURCE PepsiCo