Pepsi Beverages Company and the USO Join Forces to Deliver Smiles to NJ-Based Military Families

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Jun 30, 2011, 03:49 ET

RED BANK, N.J., June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty pairs of bright eyes grew even brighter when they landed on new bicycles at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Red Bank, N.J. yesterday, courtesy of the USO and Pepsi Beverages Company (PBC). The bikes were donated to children of service families based at Fort Monmouth by the USO, and were sponsored and assembled by PBC employees. Each child that received a bicycle has a family member who is currently serving in the armed services – some deployed overseas.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110630/NY29142 )

The bike presentation was the culmination of PBC Gives Back Days – an annual community service event in which more than 500 employees from PepsiCo's Westchester County, N.Y.-based offices donated their time and skills to 21 community service projects. Children receiving bikes ranged in age from three to 12 years old.

Catherine Patterson, director of PBC community engagement, was at the Reserve Center when the bikes were presented to the children. "The look on these kids' faces is what giving back is all about," she said, "I'm so proud to be here, and I'm humbled by the sacrifice that these families make. Pepsi Beverages Company is honored to support our veterans, military members, their families and their communities."

The bikes were delivered to the Reserve Center on a Pepsi transport truck, driven by Daniel "Danny" Higgins. Higgins, a U.S. Army veteran and Pepsi driver, also celebrated a milestone that day, retiring from Pepsi after 43 years. The bike delivery was the last delivery he made on behalf of PepsiCo.

"Danny is an inspiration to all of us here," said Roseann Isasi, unit sales manager for PBC's Asbury Park facility. "He reminds us of the great hardships, separation from family and all sacrifices our brave men and woman endure so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. How do you replace that?"

Providing these bikes to the children of military families is a demonstration of the shared values of the USO and Pepsi Beverages Company. It is a great articulation of PepsiCo's dedication to "Performance with Purpose" – a commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and planet and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where employees work, live and operate.

About Pepsi Beverages Company

Pepsi Beverages Company (PBC) is PepsiCo's beverage manufacturing, sales and distribution operating unit in the United States, Canada and Mexico. PBC handles approximately 75 percent of PepsiCo's North America beverage volume. Its diverse portfolio includes some of the world's most widely recognized beverage brands, including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Aquafina, Gatorade, SoBe, Lipton, and Amp Energy. In many markets, PBC also manufactures and/or distributes non-Pepsi brands, including Dr Pepper, Crush, ROCKSTAR, and Muscle Milk. The operating unit is headquartered in Westchester County, New York and employs approximately 70,000 people. Learn more about PBC at www.pepsico.com/pbc.

About PepsiCo, Inc.

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales each. Our main businesses -- Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay, and Pepsi Cola -- also make hundreds of other enjoyable and wholesome foods and beverages that are respected household names throughout the world. With net revenues of approximately $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment, including by conserving energy and water usage, and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support, and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

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