Joannie Rochette Becomes Ambassador for the Pepsi Refresh Project

Olympic Medalist Figure Skater Joins the Pepsi Social Good Movement As Quebec Grant
Recipients Get Ready To Celebrate

Note to Editors:  A photo of Ms. Rochette is available with this release.

MONTREAL, Oct. 28 /CNW/ - Joannie Rochette, who captured the hearts of people around the world when she won a bronze medal at the 2010 Olympic Games, will serve as the Quebec Ambassador for the Pepsi Refresh Project - a groundbreaking movement that will award more than $1 million in grants to fund positive ideas that move the world forward.

In her capacity as a Pepsi Refresh Project ambassador, Ms. Rochette will support and encourage individuals and groups in Quebec to submit their ideas to the Pepsi Refresh Project, while also acting as a spokesperson for the initiative.  She will also participate in events to celebrate grant recipients and their impact on their communities.

"It's an absolute honour for me to become an Ambassador for the Pepsi Refresh Project," said Ms. Rochette.  "I look forward to helping Quebecers foster positive change - it's a passion of mine."

"We couldn't be more proud to welcome Joannie to the Pepsi Refresh Project," said Dale Hooper, Vice President Marketing, PepsiCo Beverages Canada. "Her strong will, compassion and desire to support social good will bring an exciting new dimension to the Pepsi Refresh Project, and we believe those qualities will resonate very well with the people of Quebec."

After the first round of grant submissions, the province of Quebec found itself the recipient of two Pepsi Refresh Project grants - a $25,000 grant to support a group called Youth Music Movement to stimulate youth motivation in the music community, and a $10,000 grant to fund an artistic training studio in Montreal.

Montreal-based Youth Music Movement will use the $25,000 grant to set up a mobile recording studio for budding young musicians across Canada, giving them a rare chance to record their musical creations free of charge. All the bands recorded by Youth Music Movement will be featured on a charity album, with sales proceeds going to the Simple Plan Foundation, a charity that helps young people in need by easing their often difficult passage to adulthood.

Samantha Youssef of Montreal's Studio Technique will use her $10,000 grant to provide a space in Montreal where visual artist students can come together and interact, expand their skill set and practice their technique.

"I am so excited to be a grant recipient so I can expand my artistic studio," said Ms. Youssef.  "I hope my story will help inspire more people to bring their ideas forward to refresh the world."

The Pepsi Refresh Project is now open for a new round of voting. Quebecers and people right across Canada can vote for their favourite Pepsi Refresh ideas at www.icicestmieux.com.

About the Pepsi Refresh Project
In an effort to support those who generate innovative, optimistic ideas, the Pepsi Refresh Project (www.refresheverything.ca; www.icicestmieux.com) will award over $1 million in grants.  Every other month, individuals and organizations can apply for grants to benefit a variety of projects and site visitors can vote for the best ideas for funding.  The Pepsi Refresh Project is an evolution of the Joy It Forward initiative Pepsi launched in 2009, which showed the brand as an optimistic catalyst for idea creation.  Pepsi will fund projects that make a difference in six categories: Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighbourhoods and Education.

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 reference:

www.twitter.com/pepsicanada
www.facebook.com/pepsicanada

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: Photos accompanying this social media release are also available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information:

Helene Reeves
450-656-4420
[email protected]