Frito-Lay, Quaker, and PepsiCo Foundation Team Up with Former Arizona Cardinal Drew Stanton, GENYOUth and Additional Partners to Award Grab and Go Meal Equipment Packages to Phoenix Union High Schools
PHOENIX, Ariz. (February 9, 2023) – GENYOUth, the national non-profit organization founded by America’s dairy farmers and the NFL to create healthier school communities, announced today the completion of its Mission 57: End Student Hunger initiative with the awarding of Grab and Go meal equipment and NFL FLAG-In-Schools kits to the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU). Combined with recent grants to Tucson Unified and Casa Grande Elementary School Districts, and with the support of purpose-minded partners including Frito-Lay North America, The Quaker Oats Company, and the PepsiCo Foundation in collaboration with the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee and the Dairy Council of Arizona, GENYOUth has provided school meal equipment packages to 22 Arizona schools over the past three weeks.
At Central High School in Phoenix this morning, over 100 students joined former Arizona Cardinal and NFL Legend Drew Stanton, along with school district officials and community leaders including Principal Leticia Avalos, to celebrate the arrival of new school meal equipment, including breakfast/meal carts, mobile milk coolers, and NFL FLAG-In-Schools kits.
Today’s grant marks the completion of Mission 57: End Student Hunger, a community initiative aligned with Super Bowl LVII which has – through additional support provided by BHHS Legacy Foundation, Fiesta Bowl Charities, Fry’s Food Stores, and the ISA Foundation — provided a total of 57 equipment packages to help tackle food insecurity and increase physical activity in high-need Arizona schools. Nearly one in five² children in Arizona are living in food insecurity yet the state ranks in the bottom half of all states in school breakfast participation³.
All totaled, Mission 57 will provide access to over 8.5 million school meals among 31,000 Arizona students. Super Bowl LVII’s commitment to tackling student food insecurity will continue on Saturday, February 11, with Taste of the NFL presented by Frito Lay, Quaker and PepsiCo Foundation, at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix (TasteoftheNFL.com).
“Over 30 million students rely on school meals for a significant portion of their daily nutrition, and for many, it is the only meal they receive on some days. Our Grab and Go meal equipment has been proven to increase average daily meal participation by as much as 27 percent by reducing barriers to school breakfast in the cafeteria including lack of time and stigma,” said Ann Marie Krautheim, M.A., R.D., L.D., CEO of GENYOUth. “Mission 57, with the support of Frito-Lay, Quaker, the PepsiCo Foundation, and other purpose-minded partners, has addressed youth food insecurity where it is most needed, in high-need school communities including Phoenix. Together we are providing a crucial step forward in ending student hunger in Arizona.”
“The Phoenix Union High School District serves over 28,000 beautiful young people in Arizona’s capital city,” said Dr. Chad Gestson, PXU Superintendent. “Although our District receives free meals for all students thanks to various national programs, our schools need support feeding our kids. PXU thanks GENYOUth, Frito-Lay, Quaker, the PepsiCo Foundation, and the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee for their generous grant, which will help to increase our student’s participation.”
“I am honored to be supporting Mission 57: End Student Hunger in Arizona and participating in today’s school event in Phoenix Union High School District,” said Drew Stanton, former Arizona Cardinal and NFL Legend. “Tackling student food insecurity needs to be a top priority, as daily school meals along with regular physical activity leads to improved health and academic performance.”
“Frito-Lay, Quaker and PepsiCo Foods North America are proud to support GENYOUth in providing critical equipment that directly impacts students and alleviates food insecurity in Arizona,” said Joan Cetera, Vice President of Communications, PepsiCo Foods North America. “We are committed to meeting the needs of communities in which we serve, and with the support of PepsiCo Foundation, Frito-Lay and Quaker we are providing essential resources to allow communities to thrive.”
“Through our Food for Good efforts, the PepsiCo Foundation is committed to addressing food insecurity by increasing equitable access to nutritious foods and other critical resources in the communities where we live and work throughout the United States,” said C.D. Glin, President, PepsiCo Foundation, and Global Head of Philanthropy, PepsiCo. “Alongside Quaker and Frito-Lay, our support of GENYOUth’s Mission 57 and Taste of the NFL initiatives enables us to sustain a commitment to and focus on Arizona’s next generation of leaders. As part of the overall Mission 57 initiative, we are proud that our support will positively impact over 12,000 students and help to increase access to over 3 million school meals.”
“Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee is proud to be a supporter of Mission 57, and with the Super Bowl LVII just a few days away, we thank GENYOUth and all partners and supporters who are prioritizing the health and well-being of students today and every day,” said Jay Parry, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee.
“Dairy farmers in Arizona and throughout the nation are committed year-round to the health and well-being of our nation’s children. We are proud to be partnering with GENYOUth and other partners to ensure school meal participation and to provide equitable access to nutritious dairy products,” said Tammy Baker, General Manager, Dairy Council of Arizona.
For more information on Mission 57: End Student Hunger and to purchase tickets to Taste of the NFL, visit GENYOUthNow.org and TasteoftheNFL.com. To help GENYOUth End Student Hunger, visit GENYOUthNow.org/donate/.
¹ Stacker via Feeding America data (2020) ² Food Research & Action Center ³ MMS
About GENYOUth
GENYOUth is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that creates healthier school communities. Founded by America’s dairy farmers and the NFL, GENYOUth convenes a network of private and public partners, including Fortune 100 companies and foundations, to raise funds for youth wellness initiatives that give youth the inspiration, motivation, and programs to be healthy high-achieving students. GENYOUth’s flagship program, Fuel Up to Play 60, enrolls over 73,000 U.S. schools, reaching over 38 million students. Our school nutrition grants increase access to healthy school meals among food insecure students. NFL FLAG-In-Schools is the fastest-growing youth sport in the country (ages 6-14) with over 32,000 flag kits to school communities reaching over 15 million students. AdVenture Capital brings out the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of students with the support of corporate mentors to solve real world problems. GENYOUth is the official charitable partner of Taste of the NFL, a purpose-driven Super Bowl culinary experience that raises awareness and generates funds to fight hunger and food insecurity to support the organization’s commitment to end student hunger.
About Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee
The Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee is an Arizona non-profit responsible for planning and executing a successful Super Bowl LVII in 2023. The goal of the Host Committee is to galvanize local stakeholders in a united approach to hosting the largest single-day sporting event in the world by maximizing positive media exposure, fueling the economic engine of Arizona, and leaving a lasting legacy. The Host Committee serves as liaison between the NFL and all regional efforts, culminating with the game in 2023 at State Farm Stadium, home to the Arizona Cardinals. This is the fourth time Arizona is hosting the Super Bowl, following 1996, 2008 and 2015. Only four other sites (South Florida, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Tampa Bay) hold this distinction. For more information, visit azsuperbowl.com or follow @AZSuperBowl on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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 $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, 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 PepsiCo Positive (pep+). 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.
About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America is the $18 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, N.Y. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay’s and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos tortilla chips, Cheetos snacks, Tostitos tortilla chips and branded dips, 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, http:www.fritolay.com, on Twitter fritolay, on Instagram @fritolay and on Facebook Frito-Lay.
About the PepsiCo Foundation
Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we’re focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at www.pepsicofoundation.com.
About Quaker
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.
Dairy Council® of Arizona
Dairy Council® of Arizona (DCAZ) is a the not-for-profit, nutrition education branch of Arizona Milk Producers. Staffed by registered dietitians, DCAZ strives to contribute to the achievement of optimal health for the Arizona community by providing nutrition education based on the latest scientific research and the concept of a balanced diet that includes milk and milk products. To address hunger initiatives in the local community, DCAZ provides food preparation and storage equipment to food banks and school food service programs.
Phoenix Union High School
Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) is one of the largest and most progressive high school districts in the United States. With 24 schools, over 28,000 students, and nearly 4,000 employees, PXU covers 220-square miles of Arizona’s capital city. PXU is a portfolio district with 11 comprehensive high schools, six small specialty schools, three micro schools, three support schools, and a digital academy. At Phoenix Union, we provide schools of opportunity that welcome, love, and inspire all to go places and do things that matter.
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Contact
Eric Slutsky, GENYOUth, Eric.Slutsky@genyouthnow.org, 917-391-6709
Richard Franco, Phoenix Union High School District, Richard.Franco@PhoenixUnion.org, 602-764-1530
Lesley Miller, Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee, LMiller@azsuperbowl.com, 480-225-5535