Cracker Jack® will help fund the sports ambitions of nine Cracker Jill young athletes, feature one award winner on special-edition bags and donate an additional $200,000 to the Women's Sports Foundation

PLANO, Texas, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of last year's groundbreaking addition of Cracker Jill® to the iconic snack brand's roster, today Cracker Jack® launches the I Am Cracker Jill Award to champion the dreams and exceptional accomplishments of young female athletes who are changing the face of the game – one goal, one run or one point at a time.

Cracker Jill debuted at the start of the 2022 baseball season in select professional ballparks across the country. Through five special-edition bags celebrating the diverse women breaking down barriers and leaving their mark on sports, Cracker Jill's mission was for more girls and women to feel seen and represented in sports. Now, in partnership with the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), Cracker Jack will choose nine contest recipients to receive the I Am Cracker Jill Award, along with $5,000 to fuel their sports endeavors.  

"Cracker Jill is rooted in the belief that sometimes all it takes to believe you can do something is to see someone like you do it first," said Leslie Vesper, vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. "This year, we're proud to recognize and support athletes who are role models on and off the field and who inspire the next generation of women around the world to dream big."

To inspire girls and young women to apply for the award, professional soccer player Mallory Swanson and professional swimmer and 29-time Paralympic medalist Jessica Long are sharing their #IAmCrackerJill stories as program ambassadors. These athletes, along with WSF and WSF Athlete Ambassador, two-time Paralympic medalist Sophia Herzog-Gibb, will join the brand in selecting nine Cracker Jill athletes who demonstrate tenacity and leadership to receive the I Am Cracker Jill Award. One grand prize recipient will become the brand's next Cracker Jill character, designed by Monica Ahanonu, the trailblazing artist who created the original five Cracker Jill characters featured on special-edition bags.   

"I always wanted to be a soccer player and so much of that passion and determination came from watching the powerful female athletes that came before me," said Swanson. "My goal is to make that same impact on future generations, and I hope my #IAmCrackerJill story will inspire those athletes to reach for their dreams."

"We at the Women's Sports Foundation know the importance of powerful images to celebrate and inspire young girls and women to reach their potential in sport and in life," said WSF CEO Danette Leighton. "We are thrilled to partner with Cracker Jack for a second year and excited to empower more Cracker Jill athletes, whose stories will encourage other girls around the nation to keep playing."

The #IAmCrackerJill nationwide contest to identify and spotlight the inspiring stories of young women and girls is live through May 16. Female athletes ages 15 to 24 can apply by submitting their stories at www.CrackerJill.com. Cracker Jill bags will also be available for purchase in select professional ballparks and in stores across the United States starting this month.

For more information on Cracker Jack and the I Am Cracker Jill Award contest, follow the brand on Instagram and Facebook.

About Cracker JackCracker Jack® brand has been an American favorite for over 120 years and is one of many Frito-Lay North America brands— the $23 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Cracker Jack on Instagram (@crackerjackofficial_) and Facebook (@CrackerJack).

About Frito-Lay North AmericaFrito-Lay North America, Inc. is the $23 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay's® and Ruffles® potato chips, Doritos® and Tostitos® tortilla chips and branded dips, Cheetos® snacks, Stacy's® pita chips, PopCorners® popped-corn snack, SunChips® multigrain snacks and Fritos® corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, www.fritolay.com, on Twitter (@fritolay), on Instagram (@fritolay) and on Facebook (Frito-Lay).

About PepsiCoPepsiCo 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 $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, 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 PepsiCo Positive (pep+). 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.

About Women's Sports FoundationThe Women's Sports Foundation exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate and a catalyst. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we strengthen and expand participation and leadership opportunities through research, advocacy, community programming and a wide variety of collaborative partnerships. From its inception to Title IX's 50th anniversary in 2022, WSF has invested over $100 million in these impact efforts, helping to shape the lives of millions of youth, high school and collegiate student-athletes, elite athletes and coaches. We're building a future where every girl and woman can #KeepPlaying and unlock the lifelong benefits of sport participation. All girls. All women. All sports.® To learn more about the Women's Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.

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SOURCE Frito-Lay North America; PepsiCo