MLB Stars Johnny Damon, Torii Hunter, Evan Longoria, CC Sabathia Competing Off the Field in Campaign to Improve America's Communities

PURCHASE, N.Y., July 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Starting today, 15 teams across Major League Baseball are asking fans to join them in making a difference in America's communities. As part of the Pepsi Refresh Project, each Club has outlined an idea – from creating Milwaukee's first universally-accessible baseball league for those with a physical or mental disability to cultivating an urban garden that would grow fruits and vegetables to be donated to various local non-profit organizations to feed the hungry – that will vie for fan votes and an ultimate $200,000 Pepsi Refresh grant to fulfill the project. Launching today thru Tuesday, August 17 at 11:59 p.m. EDT, fans can cast their votes at www.mlb.com/PepsiRefresh or via text by typing the team's name to 76462 (e.g. R-A-Y-S) for the ideas they believe should receive a grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project.  

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To lead off the promotion, the players will team up with Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, Jenny McCarthy, and local community representatives for a special Pepsi Refresh Project event in Anaheim, the site of the 2010 MLB All-Star Game.  In partnership with LA Commons, an organization which engages communities in artistic and cultural expression, participants will paint a mural that embodies the essence of the Pepsi Refresh Project. The mural, created by artist Roberto Del Hoyo will be constructed at El Salvador Community Center in Santa Ana, stand almost 10 feet high by 86 feet wide, take 500 hours to complete and leave a lasting legacy in the community. Additionally, today MLB All-Star FanFest will be Presented by Pepsi and feature player appearances and clinics.

"The Pepsi Refresh Project makes it easy for fans to make a difference in America's communities," said Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. "We hope fans will get behind the team ideas and support them off the field as much as they do during each and every game to help make this project a huge success."  

A new television spot titled "Jocks" will break tonight during the All-Star Game broadcast on FOX highlighting the team ideas and player representatives which include:

• Arizona Diamondbacks/Justin Upton – Help Best Buddies program build social skills and increase independence of those with developmental disabilities
• Chicago Cubs/Geovany Soto – Allow hundreds of kids of all ages to participate in baseball through the Humbolt Park Little League
• Chicago White Sox/Gordon Beckham – Supply much-needed school supplies to participants of Chicago's Inner City Youth Baseball Program
• Cleveland Indians/Grady Sizemore – Expand The Cleveland Baseball Federation, which provides 4,200 kids ages 5-19 with 20 minute sessions about personal responsibility, money management and college preparations
• Detroit Tigers/Johnny Damon – Work with Detroit Tigers Youth Baseball to Refresh Recess and fight childhood obesity by introducing the game of baseball to nearly 20,000 students in 40 elementary schools
• Kansas City Royals/Billy Butler – Restore 37 baseball/softball fields in small communities in the Midwest region with Royalty Fields
• Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Torii Hunter – Partner with Orange County United Way to work toward the goal of graduating 100% of at-risk high school seniors who are four-year college eligible with a clear career path plan
• Milwaukee Brewers/Prince Fielder – Construct Milwaukee's first universally-accessible baseball league for children with any physical or mental disability with the Miracle League of Milwaukee
• Minnesota Twins/Michael Cuddyer – Create a specialty softball field for Courage Center's Rolling Twins softball wheelchair team
• New York Mets/Jeff Francoeur – Partner with City Year New York to improve educational outcomes for low-income communities by focusing on attendance, behavior, course performance and civic involvement
• New York Yankees/CC Sabathia – Work with Out2Play, Inc. to provide children throughout all regions of the New York City public school system with safe, fun and developmentally beneficial playspaces
• Oakland Athletics/Andrew Bailey – Build an adapted sports field and community park for differently-abled people with the Miracle League of the Alameada East Bay
• Pittsburgh Pirates/Andrew McCutchen – Partner with the City of Pittsburgh to plant and cultivate an urban garden that would grow fruits and vegetables to be donated to various local non-profit organizations to feed the hungry
• Seattle Mariners/Felix Hernandez – Team up with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence to mentor young male athletes and promote positive messages of honor and respect
• Tampa Bay Rays/Evan Longoria – Work with the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation to provide cancer education for kids

"The Pepsi Refresh Project is proud to provide the stage to showcase these inspiring team ideas from across the league," said Jeff Dubiel, Vice President of Pepsi Sports. "MLB fans are some of the most passionate in sports and we expect them to not only get behind their teams, but also see how easy it is to do good and be inspired to make a difference in their own communities."

The Pepsi Refresh Project is a groundbreaking effort to foster innovation in social good that will award more than $20 million this year to fund great ideas that help impact the world. Throughout 2010, Pepsi will fund ideas that will move the world forward in six categories: Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighborhoods and Education. The Pepsi Refresh Project, which launched Jan. 13, features significant social engagement around people and the power of ideas. People are encouraged to submit their ideas and to cast a vote for their favorite ideas at www.refresheverything.com.

About Pepsi

Pepsi is a product of PepsiCo Beverages Americas (PBA).  In addition to the Pepsi trademark, the PBA portfolio includes the Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist and Mug trademarks in the carbonated soft drink category. PBA is a division of PepsiCo, Inc., which offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that each generates 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 more than 200 countries. With annualized revenues of nearly $60 billion, PepsiCo's people 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. In recognition of its continued sustainability efforts, PepsiCo was named for the third time to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) and for the fourth time to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI North America) in 2009. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

SOURCE Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages