Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees Joins Pepsi Refresh Project to Seek Good Ideas That Refresh Gulf Coast Communities

PURCHASE, N.Y., July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pepsi Refresh Project, which plans on awarding more than $20 million this year to fund good ideas, big and small, that help refresh our world, will begin accepting idea submissions today from individuals and organizations to make a positive impact on communities in the Gulf states.  Submissions for The Pepsi Refresh Project: Do Good for the Gulf ideas will open today at noon ET at www.refresheverything.com and will close on Friday, July 16 at 11:59 a.m. or when Pepsi receives 1,000 submissions, whichever occurs first.

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Pepsi will empower Americans to decide which ideas get funded and make a positive impact on communities that have been directly affected by the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Starting on Monday, August 2 and continuing throughout the month of August, choose your favorite ideas at www.refresheverything.com.  Pepsi will award $1.3 million in grants of $250,000, $50,000, $25,000 and $5,000 to ideas that receive the greatest number of votes.

In the wake of the oil spill in the Gulf, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has partnered with Pepsi to help elevate the need for good ideas, big and small, that will help affected communities move forward.

"We are all devastated by the impact of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on the communities of the Gulf coast," said Brees.  "The Pepsi Refresh Project is allowing us all to Do Good for the Gulf by empowering Americans to turn their ideas to refresh communities in the Gulf region from wishful thinking into reality," he continued.

Following his team's successful Super Bowl win, Brees was announced the winner of a $100,000 Pepsi Refresh grant that will help New Orleans-based Hope Lodge provide rooms for cancer patients and their caregivers.   For more information on his Pepsi Refresh Grant, click here.  

Submission Criteria

• Ideas may be submitted at www.refresheverything.com from all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia but must have a clear community benefit for communities in the Gulf region (states that are on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida)

• Ideas must be executable within 12 months

• Ideas must intend to make a positive impact on communities affected by recent events in the Gulf

• Pepsi Refresh Project Gulf initiative will not support ideas directly related to clean-up efforts and environmental impact

• Ideas shall not pertain to seek financial reparation from the environmental tragedy or propose engineering or clean-up solutions

• Previous Gulf-focused Pepsi Refresh Project submissions, which have not been the recipient of a Pepsi Refresh grant, may be re-submitted if they meet above stated criteria

The Pepsi Refresh Project: Do Good for the Gulf is an extension of the Pepsi Refresh Project, which has awarded more than $7 million to fund good ideas in communities across the U.S. Each month, Pepsi accepts 1,000 ideas and asks America to choose which ideas will win a Pepsi Refresh Grant.  The Project has also funded 127 of these great ideas to move communities forward.  In June, 32 ideas with the most votes were funded and these ideas will help to give scholarships to young musicians in Oberlin, OH through Credo Chamber Music, build a weight room for the Kicking Mules of Bedford High School in Michigan, and support the Phi Theta Kappa food pantry to fight hunger in San Antonio, Texas.  

To view the entire list of Pepsi Refresh Grant Finalists for June, visit: www.refresheverything.com/finalists.

Pepsi Refresh Project

In an effort to support those who generate innovative, optimistic ideas, the Pepsi Refresh Project (http://www.refresheverything.com), will award more than $20 million in 2010 to move communities forward. Individuals can apply for grants to benefit a variety of projects starting January 13, and site visitors can vote for the best ideas for funding starting February 1. The Pepsi Refresh Project is an evolution of the Refresh Everything initiative Pepsi launched in 2009, which showed the brand as an optimistic catalyst for idea creation, leading to an ever-refreshing world. Pepsi will fund projects that make a difference in six categories: Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighborhoods and Education.

The Pepsi Refresh Project can be found at www.refresheverything.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/refresheverything or on Twitter, @Pepsi or #pepsirefresh.

Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages

The Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages (PCNAB) portfolio features market-leading liquid refreshment beverages, including the Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist and Mug trademarks in the carbonated soft drink category and the Aquafina and SoBe trademarks in the non-carbonated arena. PCNAB also produces and markets North America's best-selling ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees, respectively, via joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks. Please visit www.pepsiproductfacts.com for additional information. PCNAB is a division of PepsiCo, which offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generate 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 over 200 countries. With more than $43 billion in 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 people who 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. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

SOURCE Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages