PURCHASE, N.Y., March 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- An American flag, first flown by the U.S. military in combat, has set off on its more than 14,000 mile "Rolling Remembrance" relay to help raise awareness and funds for Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, an organization that provides college scholarships and educational counseling to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. Through the course of the relay 55 PepsiCo drivers, who are all also military veterans, will transport the American flag across the country, handing it off to one another from Seattle to New York.
Approximately 25,000 children have lost a parent in military service over the last 35 years. Many surviving families struggle to make ends meet with 52% of surviving spouses making less than $50,000 per year according to the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation. With no central repository of information from which to find these families, the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation works to find each of these children to assist them with scholarships and educational counseling.
The relay has become an annual tradition at PepsiCo. It has taken place for nine years and has raised more than $2 million for the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, which says the funds translate to more than 320 years of college for their scholars. Along this year's route there will be 61 stops at PepsiCo facilities and those of our partners and customers allowing thousands of PepsiCo employees and community members to gather to pay tribute to those who lost their lives, support the families left behind and recognize the veterans who work at PepsiCo.
"What makes PepsiCo's Rolling Remembrance relay so unique, is that this program doesn't just raise funds for Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, but it also raises awareness and helps us to find additional beneficiaries who can benefit from our support," said David Kim, co-founder and CEO of Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation.
For most of the year, the Rolling Remembrance flag is prominently displayed at PepsiCo's global headquarters in Purchase, NY. On March 19, the Rolling Remembrance flag started its journey, carried by JetBlue, flying from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
The flag is now travelling on its 61-stop journey throughout the United States on the ground, being carried on trucks on normal business routes. The relay will conclude with a ceremony as the flag returns to PepsiCo's headquarters just before Memorial Day.
"PepsiCo's military veteran drivers are always honored to get the chance to transport the Rolling Remembrance flag, participate in relay stops and most important, contribute to the education of military children who lost a parent in the line of duty," said Jim Farrell, SVP, Supply Chain, PepsiCo Beverages North America, and Executive Sponsor of PepsiCo Valor employee resource group. "Rolling Remembrance supports the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation and also recognizes some of the humble and proud veteran drivers in our organization. It has been an honor to see this program and its impact grow over the past decade."
The relay is run in partnership with PepsiCo's employee resource group, PepsiCo Valor, which supports veteran PepsiCo employees and veterans in communities across the country. Rolling Remembrance reflects PepsiCo's "A Space to Be You" aspiration to create a collaborative, equitable, and inclusive space where everyone, regardless of what we look like, where we come from, or whom we love, has a voice. This mantra extends to PepsiCo's business partners and the communities it serves, and helps drive the company's progress toward its pep+ ambitions, including achieving gender parity in management roles globally, maintaining pay equity, and helping to uplift underserved communities around the world.
To donate to Children of Fallen Patriots foundation, visit https://donate.fallenpatriots.org/campaign/rolling-remembrance-2024/c567986
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 $91 billion in net revenue in 2023, 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 pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). 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, and follow on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
About Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation
Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation provides college scholarships and educational counseling to military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. Since 2002, Fallen Patriots has provided over $79 million in total assistance, including college scholarships and educational counseling to over 3,250 military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. More than 25,000 children from across the United States have lost a parent in the line of duty. Help today by visiting www.fallenpatriots.org.
SOURCE PepsiCo