PLANO, Texas, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tostitos brand, in a joint effort with the USO, today announced plans to field the first-ever Tostitos "Salute the Troops" Bowl, a one-of-a-kind college football experience that will bring the tastes and traditions of college football bowl games to active military serving in the Persian Gulf. The "Salute the Troops" Bowl will be held at an undisclosed military base in the Persian Gulf while other college bowl games take place back in the United States, and include an all-star flag football competition that puts teams of college football legends -- partnered with military service heroes -- in a truly unique gridiron match-up designed to celebrate the armed forces and provide a taste of home.
Highlights from the event will be captured and shared in the U.S. at halftime during the nationwide broadcast of the 2010 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on FOX on January 4, 2010. PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division has had a relationship with college football for decades, highlighted by its 15-year title sponsorship of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
The event for the troops, which also will include a pre-game pep rally and tailgate party, will put legendary college football coaches Barry Switzer and Tommy Bowden at the helm of two unique teams composed of former college all stars and active military personnel for a one-of-a-kind football showdown. Football greats Rocket Ismail, Tommie Frazier, and Tony Casillas, among others, will participate in the on-field action.
"We are honored to be joining the USO to bring the enthusiasm and camaraderie of college football to some of the brave men and women currently serving our country," said Justin Lambeth, vice president of marketing, Tostitos. "The Tostitos brand has always seen college football as a unique way to bring people together to share fun, memorable experiences, and we hope that by recreating some of the excitement and magic around football bowl games, we are able to provide a nice taste of home and a lasting memory."
The full roster of players includes:
"We're thankful to have Frito-Lay, and specifically the Tostitos brand, as one of our partners to create this unique college football event for our troops serving on the front lines during the holidays," said Sloan Gibson, USO president. "Our military has some of the biggest college football fans you will ever find, and we are excited to be providing this once-in-a-lifetime experience for our troops that brings the energy and excitement of college bowl games directly to them."
The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases around the world, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services tailored to meet troop needs. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families, and the families of the fallen.
The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency; we rely on the generosity of our donors. In addition to individual donors and other corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, S & K Sales Co. and TriWest Healthcare Alliance, as well as other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). We strive to deliver maximum benefit for troops and their families from every donor dollar. For more information, please visit www.uso.org.
Frito-Lay North America is the $12 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo business units include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate Web site, www.fritolay.com and the Snack Chat blog, www.snacks.com.
PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generate 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 over 200 countries. With more than $43 billion in 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 people who 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.
Contact: Chris Kuechenmeister Frito-Lay 214-422-8901 cell Chris.Kuechenmeister@fritolay.com Oname Thompson USO 703-908-6471 othompson@uso.org
SOURCE: Frito-Lay
Web site: http://www.fritolay.com/
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