Frito-Lay Extends Sports Access for 50,000 Girls Nationwide

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Jul 26, 2023, 14:02 ET

Partnership with the Women's Sports Foundation includes program funding and one-of-a-kind "Gallery of Greats" experience and memorabilia exhibit in New York City, immersing fans in the legacy and future of female athletes

PLANO, Texas, July 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Frito-Lay North America (Frito-Lay), a North American Tournament Supporter and the Official USA Snack of the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™, today announced it is expanding its "All-In with Frito-Lay" initiative through a $400,000 contribution to the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), a national non-profit that expands access and opportunities for girls and women in sports so they can play, compete, and lead without barriers.

"Last year, Frito-Lay pledged to increase accessibility in sports and break barriers for young athletes across the country. We're continuing this legacy to help approximately 50,000 girls and women join and stay in sports," said Brett O'Brien, Chief Marketing Officer of Frito-Lay North America. "As the FIFA Women's World Cup captivates the world and inspires fans, we are proud to champion, spotlight and help make the sporting dreams of young athletes a reality."

All-In With Frito-Lay Initiative

The 'All-In with Frito-Lay' initiative, established in 2022, is a three-year, $1 million commitment to increase equity in soccer. Frito-Lay's donation to WSF will help girls pursue their passion in sports by increasing access and opportunity across the country, including programming for 8,000 girls actively playing soccer.

The funding will enable WSF to train and work directly with 1,000 coaches through the organization's "We Play Interactive™" training resource, a free digital platform that helps professionally develop and train coaches and program leaders to create environments where all girls can thrive. These coaches will reach an estimated 50,000 girls in their sport-based community programs.

"Our Foundation's vision is a future where every girl and woman have equal opportunity to realize their full potential through the power of sports — both on and off the field of play," said WSF CEO Danette Leighton. "We know from our extensive research¹ that girls and young women drop out of sports at higher rates compared to their male counterparts. To keep them in the game, it is imperative to have organizations, corporations and brands join us in expanding access and opportunities. We are grateful to have a consumer brand powerhouse like Frito-Lay help us deepen our impact and inspire more girls and women to experience the transformative power of sports."

"Gallery of Greats" Exhibit

Just in time for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™, Frito-Lay is teaming up with WSF to host a one-weekend experience and memorabilia exhibit, called "Gallery of Greats," in New York City now through Saturday, July 29. To inspire young athletes to keep pursuing their sports aspirations, Frito-Lay's "Gallery of Greats" allows visitors to experience the past, present and future of greatness in women's sports and celebrate the tournament. The experience includes:

A one-of-a-kind display of women's sports memorabilia, fandom and culture, courtesy of WSF, chronicling the stories of iconic women athletes who broke barriers and altered sports culture for the better.
A celebration of the FIFA Women's World Cup™, allowing fans of all ages to cheer, snack and watch history in the making with their favorite Frito-Lay snacks.
A dedication to the nine 2023 finalists of the Cracker Jack^® brand's I Am Cracker Jill^® Award, which champions the dreams and exceptional accomplishments of young women athletes who are changing the face of sports today.

Frito-Lay's "Gallery of Greats" is open to the public now through Saturday, July 29, and is free to visitors. The exhibit is in New York City's Meatpacking District at 401 W 14th Street and open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT on Thursday and Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT on Saturday.

I Am Cracker Jill

Frito-Lay's commitment to sports equity also comes to life through the introduction of Cracker Jill^®, a Cracker Jack^® initiative to make more girls and women feel represented in sports and provide funding to fuel their sports endeavors. Over the past two years, Cracker Jack^® and WSF have partnered together with this initiative to support the Foundation's research, advocacy and community programming to help girls and women across the country reach their potential in sports and life. The stories of the recently announced I Am Cracker Jill Award finalists and the grand prize winner featured on limited-edition Cracker Jill^® packaging are inspiring young athletes across the nation and are featured in the "Gallery of Greats" exhibit.

The FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ is currently underway and will conclude on August 20. For more information about the tournament, visit FIFA.com.

About Frito-Lay North America

Frito-Lay North America, Inc. is the $23 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay's^® and Ruffles^® potato chips, Doritos^® and Tostitos^® tortilla chips and branded dips, Cheetos^® snacks, Stacy's^® pita chips, PopCorners^® popped-corn snack, SunChips^® multigrain snacks and Fritos^® corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, www.fritolay.com, on Twitter (@fritolay), on Instagram (@fritolay) and on Facebook (Frito-Lay).

About Cracker Jack

Cracker Jack^® brand has been an American favorite for over 120 years and is one of many Frito-Lay North America brands— the $23 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Cracker Jack on Instagram (@crackerjackofficial_) and Facebook (@CrackerJack).

About the Women's Sports Foundation

The Women's Sports Foundation exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate and a catalyst. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we strengthen and expand participation and leadership opportunities through research, advocacy, community programming and a wide variety of collaborative partnerships. From its inception to Title IX's 50th anniversary in 2022, WSF invested over $100 million in these impact efforts, helping to shape the lives of millions of youth, high school and collegiate student-athletes, elite athletes and coaches. We're building a future where every girl and woman can #KeepPlaying and unlock the lifelong benefits of sport participation. All girls. All women. All sports_® To learn more about the Women's Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.

¹ https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/do-you-know-the-factors-influencing-girls-participation-in-sports/

SOURCE Frito-Lay North America; PepsiCo