PEPSI REFRESH PROJECT GETS PEOPLE VOTING LIKE NOTHING ELSE!

Almost 600,000 votes have been cast for inspiring ideas at www.refresheverything.ca

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 3 /CNW/ - It can sometimes be challenging to get people to vote, but not when it's the Pepsi Refresh Project, the ground-breaking movement that invites Canadians to vote for inspiring ideas to bring about positive social change. And voting is exactly what Canadians have been doing with enthusiasm - up to 10 times a day! - because they want to have a say in directing $1 million to the ideas that deserve it the most.

The Pepsi Refresh Project is proud to announce that to date, almost 600,000 votes have been cast from coast to coast to coast for nearly 500 ideas brought forward from Canadians looking to make a difference. With voting closing for the second round on October 31, another round of Canadians are on track to be awarded grants that will move Canada forward.

"It's been so refreshing to see such engagement around the Pepsi Refresh Project and its democratic voting process," said Paul Edney, member of the national Advisory Board for the Pepsi Refresh Project. "Too often we see apathy around voting - but in this case all 250 candidates are both positive and compelling, and the Canadian public has really responded to that".

The sentiment is shared by Pepsi Refresh Project ambassador Dev Aujla. "I think everyone could learn something from the buzz around the Pepsi Refresh Project," said Aujla "Take good ideas, run a positive campaign, and aim to make your community a better place and your message will resonate with voters".

Look what happens when Canadians vote

Another batch of unique ideas was awarded with votes from Canadians across the country in the second round of the Pepsi Refresh Project, putting them on track to receive grants. A sampling of the wide range of inspiring ideas includes:

    
    -   The Windsor/Essex Humane Society will use their $100,000 grant to
        construct a veterinary clinic focused on spaying and neutering of
        companion animals to help control pet overpopulation. The goal of the
        clinic is to end needless pet euthanasia in Windsor and Essex County
        by 2012.

    -   Vancouver's First United will use their $25,000 Pepsi Refresh Project
        grant to keep their storage facility open for the belongings of
        homeless and marginalized individuals of East Vancouver.

    -   The Alzheimer Society of York Region intends to create a music
        therapy program with their $10,000 grant. Music therapy that improves
        concentration and that creates more alert thinking in patients with
        Alzheimer's and related dementias will be offered to up to 200
        residents of York Region.

    -   SPEAK OUT, a student-run not-for-profit organization from Wellington
        County in Ontario, plans to use their $5,000 grant to create a
        documentary to educate and inspire people to solve the problem of
        bullying in schools.
    

These finalists represent just a few of the ideas that are all on track to receive a total of $200,000 for generating the most votes from Canadians over the months of September and October. This marks the second round in a total of six that will see the Pepsi brand grant over $1-million to Canadians for their ideas to create progressive social change. Grants will continue to be awarded every other month, ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, as the Pepsi brand funds ideas that move Canada forward. The Pepsi Refresh Project can be found at www.refresheverything.ca, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pepsicanada or on Twitter, @PepsiCanada

Creative Ideas Just Keep on Coming: Round Three Voting Now Open

There seems to be no end to good ideas from Canadians who want to refresh their world. The third round of the Pepsi Refresh Project kicked off on November 1, and 270 creative ideas are now competing to get the most votes. This round, the ideas range from making Canada a more accessible place for those with special needs, to creating concrete solutions to help those who are homeless or living in poverty, to saving our planet by making new and exciting green technology more widely available. Canadians can vote up to 10 times a day for their favourite ideas at www.refresheverything.ca until December 31, 2010.

About the Pepsi Refresh Project

In an effort to support those who generate innovative, optimistic ideas, the Pepsi Refresh Project will award more than $1 million to move communities forward over the course of a year. Individuals and organizations can apply for grants to benefit a variety of projects, and Canadians can vote for the best ideas for funding at www.refresheverything.ca. The Pepsi Refresh Project is an evolution of the Joy It Forward initiative that the Pepsi brand launched in 2009, which showed the brand as an optimistic catalyst for idea creation. The Pepsi Refresh Project will fund projects that make a difference in six categories: Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighbourhoods and Education.

About PepsiCo Canada and the Pepsi Brand

PepsiCo's businesses in Canada are organized into two business units. PepsiCo Foods Canada includes Frito Lay Canada and the Quaker Foods & Snacks business. PepsiCo Beverages Canada includes the Pepsi, Gatorade and Tropicana businesses. The Pepsi brand has been bringing fun and refreshment to Canadian consumers for over 75 years. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.ca.

About PepsiCo, Inc.

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that each generates 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 more than 200 countries. With annualized revenues of nearly $60 billion, PepsiCo's people 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.

For broadcast footage and additional information visit:

http://smr.newswire.ca/en/pepsico-beverages-canada/pepsi-refresh-project-awards

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pepsicanada

Twitter: @PepsiCanada

For further information: Maureen Juniper or Kelly Mansell, PraxisPR, Office: 905-949-8255 Ext. 226 or 221, [email protected] or [email protected]