Quaker Chewy® and James Van Der Beek Invite You to "Take Your Child to Play"

As a brand that champions play, Quaker Chewy celebrates its goal with a Play Pledge, playspace pop-up, and $200,000 donation to help build more playgrounds in the U.S.

CHICAGO, April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Quaker Chewy is furthering its goal to help fuel play through the brand's latest campaign, "Take Your Child to Play," in partnership with beloved dad and actor, James Van Der Beek. As a 40+ year-old brand, Quaker Chewy has been a part of families lives for generations and believes in the power of play. More importantly, when parents engage in play with their children it promotes social, emotional and functional skills, and the mutual joy can support in reducing stress for both involved.¹ So this year, Quaker Chewy is encouraging both parents and kids alike to engage in a moment of play through a Play Pledge, pop-up playspace, and a $200,000 donation from the Quaker Chewy Play Fund to KABOOM! to build more playgrounds and increase access to play.

Starting today through May 25, take the Quaker Chewy Play Pledge to commit to an hour of uninterrupted play and your pledge will enter you for a chance to win 100 boxes of Quaker Chewy to help fuel play time. Whether playing soccer together in the backyard or building forts inside on a rainy day, Quaker Chewy has a variety of delicious flavors for kids – and parents! – to enjoy during their snack break. Visit ChewyGivePlay.com/takethepledge to learn more and read the official rules.*   

To kick off the fun, get ready to play in-person with Quaker Chewy in Austin, TX! At the Domain Northside from 11 a.m. through 6 p.m., Quaker Chewy will be popping up a temporary playspace to inspire a moment of play for both parents/guardians and their kids. Complete with jumbo Tic-Tac-Toe, chalkboard walls, KABOOM!'s Imagination Playground™ and more, families are invited to take a break to play – and to help fuel the fun, enjoy a free Quaker Chewy bar while supplies last. Entry is on a first-come-first-served basis and limited to ages 2 to 12 years old. Learn more about how you can attend here. 

"As a dad of six young kids, I know how important play time can be. For us, it helps with improving physical and emotional wellbeing, relieving stress and strengthening our family's relationship," said actor James Van Der Beek. "Quaker Chewy's 'Take Your Child to Play' is a great reminder for all of us to always make time for playing with our kids and spending invaluable moments together as a family. Because sometimes it's the smallest moments that have the biggest effect."

As part of Quaker Chewy's commitment to helping provide access to play, the brand is donating $200,000 through the Quaker Chewy Play Fund to KABOOM!, the national nonprofit dedicated to ending playspace inequity across America.

"At Quaker Chewy, we are passionate about access to play as well as the positive benefits that come from the power of play," said Kristin Kroepfl, Vice President and CMO of Quaker Foods North America. "With the launch of 'Take Your Child to Play' we're furthering our goal by encouraging families everywhere to take a break from their everyday routines and spend quality time together playing."

"Take Your Child to Play" can happen anytime, anywhere. Take the pledge to spend an hour of undistracted, uninterrupted play together beginning April 25th. Visit ChewyGivePlay.com/TakeThePledge for details and be sure to follow @QuakerChewy and use the hashtag #ChewyPlayPledge.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. See website for Official Rules and prize details.

₁ Yogman, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2018). The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. Pediatrics, 142(3). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2058

About Quaker Chewy
Quaker Chewy is a convenient and delicious snack that parents can feel good about giving their families. All classic flavors of Quaker Chewy are made with 100% whole grains and other delicious ingredients, with at least 9g of whole grains in each bar, 100 calories or less per bar and contain no artificial flavors, no added colors and no high fructose corn syrup. Classic flavors include: Chocolate Chip, S'mores, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Dark Chocolate Chunk. For more information, please visit https://www.quakeroats.com/products/oat-snacks/chewy-granola-bars, https://www.facebook.com/QuakerChewy or follow us on Instagram @QuakerChewy.

About The Quaker Oats Company 
The Quaker Oats Company, headquartered in Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., one of the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies. For more than 140 years, Quaker's brands have served as symbols of quality, great taste and nutrition. Quaker^® Oats, Quaker^® Rice Cakes and Quaker Chewy^® Granola Bars are consumer favorites. For more information, please visit www.QuakerOats.com, www.Facebook.com/Quaker or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @Quaker.

About PepsiCo  
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 $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, 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 pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). 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.  

About KABOOM! 
KABOOM! is the national nonprofit committed to ending playspace inequity – the reality that quality places to play are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. Since 1996, KABOOM! has partnered with kids and communities to create or transform 17,000+ playspaces and ensure that nearly 12 million kids have equitable access to the crucial benefits and opportunities that playspaces offer. In 2022, KABOOM! launched the 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity to accelerate its mission in 25 high-priority locations over five years. Learn more at Kaboom.org and join the conversation at Twitter.com/Kaboom, Facebook.com/Kaboom, Instagram.com/Kaboom and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Quaker Chewy