Pepsi Stronger Together and Gamesa® Join Fat Joe and Friends to Host a National Scholarship Program
SOURCE PepsiCo Beverages North America
NEW YORK, June 10, 2022 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Pepsi Stronger Together and Fat Joe, recording artist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, will collaborate together, partnering with Gamesa Cookies, one of the most beloved food brands in Mexico and the largest manufacturer of cookies, to give greater prominence to aspiring musicians and artists, through the launch of its first national search for scholarships. The program, part of PepsiCo’s series of community initiatives tailored to local communities, seeks to support disadvantaged youth across the country by inviting students to apply for one of four $25,000 scholarships to study art and music.
“In some of the nation’s largest cities, African-American and Hispanic students rank at the lower end of the index for arts and creativity careers, despite the benefits and opportunities they offer. Pepsi Stronger Together was born to address the need from underprivileged communities, and given our brand’s rich history and presence in music and entertainment, this program was a natural fit. We’re honored to have the help of major artists like Fat Joe and Angie Martinez, who have broken down barriers to get to where they are today as we collectively seek to open more doors for multicultural youth who want to study art,” said Derek Lewis, president of Multicultural Equity and Business Development at PepsiCo.
The program kicked off on June 12 in New York, where Fat Joe was the godfather of the Puerto Rican Day parade on the float shared by Pepsi Stronger Together and Gamesa. He was accompanied by Angie Martinez, a New York radio personality, Ruben Diaz, former Bronx Borough President, and singer Tony Sunshine.
“I am honored to work together with Pepsi Stronger to create opportunities for the next generation of multicultural leaders and provide them with the resources to pursue their dreams in music and the arts,” said Fat Joe. “As an artist with a public platform, I take my responsibility to chart a course for the future very seriously. It is important that we empower our young people, especially those who come from disadvantaged communities, to have the confidence and foundation necessary to reach their full potential.
Following the launch in New York, Pepsi Stronger Together and Gamesa kicked off a tour of the country with stops in Los Angeles, with the support of international photographer and filmmaker Estevan Oriol, and Houston, with the help of Texan rapper and stage icon Bun B, before closing in Miami. The four scholarship winners will be announced in October at iHeartRadio’s Fiesta Latina concert during Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations.
High school students across the country can apply online at PepsiStrongerTogether.com through September 20, 2022. Each of the four cities will also have a designated location where students can apply in person with the help of the local team, beginning by Fat Joe’s UP NYC store in the Bronx.
In support of PepsiCo’s Racial Equality Journey initiative, this national scholarship program focused on music and the arts builds on PepsiCo’s investment in the community, which, along with the PepsiCo Foundation, includes a commitment to offer more than 4,000 community college scholarships to support African American and Hispanic students pursuing 2-year and 4-year degrees. To date, the Uplift scholarship program is now available in 20 cities across the United States, and the Foundation has disbursed funds for nearly 1,800 scholarships. It has also awarded some 300 community impact grants and has paved the way for high-quality careers through the Pathway to Readiness and Empowerment Program.
About Pepsi Stronger Together: Pepsi Stronger Together is a national initiative that seeks to empower and engage communities across the country through personalized programs and resources that bring people together. Follow the conversation on social media at @pepsistrongertogether.
About Gamesa®: Gamesa is the largest cookie manufacturer in Mexico. The company was founded in 1921 as La Industrial S.A. and was acquired by PepsiCo in 1990. Follow the company on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GamesaUSA/.
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. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
