Gatorade’s Fuel Tomorrow Initiative Provides Youth Programs With New Equipment and Resources

Today, Casey’s and Gatorade® announced they are providing $60,000 in funding to three youth sports organizations in Knoxville, Kansas City, and Oklahoma City through Gatorade’s Fuel Tomorrow initiative, focused on helping everyone have equal opportunities to play sports by breaking down barriers in communities that need it most. The funding provides $20,000 to each of the organizations for equipment and resources to better serve youth in underserved communities.

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Casey’s and Gatorade® announced they are providing $60,000 in funding to three youth sports organizations in Knoxville, Kansas City, and Oklahoma City through Gatorade’s Fuel Tomorrow initiative. (Photo: Business Wire)

Playing sports can improve young people’s chances of succeeding in school, going to college and provide other long-term benefits like higher self-esteem. Yet, there are significant barriers that prevent many kids, especially those from low-income backgrounds, from playing sports. Families have even fewer options to play sports coming out of COVID-19, with many reporting that their community-based sports provider has either shut down, merged, or returned with limited capacity.ⁱ

As part of the Fuel Tomorrow program, Casey’s and Gatorade are supporting the following organizations whose work is helping more young athletes realize their potential through the power of sports:

RIVERSPORT Foundation – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

RIVERSPORT provides competitive rowing programs to Title 1 schools in Oklahoma City, with around 500 students participating throughout the year.

“Rowing offers tremendous opportunities for youth including collegiate scholarships,” said Mike Knopp, RIVERSPORT Executive Director. “RIVERSPORT works to ensure that all students, no matter their resources, can experience the rewards of rowing competitively.”

The Casey’s and Gatorade Fuel Tomorrow funding will kickstart RIVERSPORT’s effort to purchase a new fleet of rowing boats in preparation for the spring rowing season. With repair costs for boats now exceeding the value of the boats themselves, the funds from Casey’s and Gatorade comes at a necessary time for RIVERSPORT to maintain their equipment.

Center City Youth Sports Program – Knoxville, Tennessee

Center City Youth Sports Program (CCYSP) provides football, baseball, and basketball programs to inner city kids in Knoxville, TN, serving more than 300 students from 6 underserved communities throughout the school year.

“This is the largest funding CCYSP has ever received,” said Churchie Riley, CCYSP Board Director. “This funding ensures that we don’t have to turn kids away from our programs.”

The Casey’s and Gatorade Fuel Tomorrow funding will address CCYSP’s need for football equipment, including purchasing new helmets and cleats for their growing student athletes. The $20,000 funding will also allow CCYSP to recruit additional coaches and volunteers to expand the quantity of teams and allow even more students to participate in their programs.

The Mattie Rhodes Center – Kansas City, MO

Mattie Rhodes Center (MRC) is a non-profit organization in Kansas City, MO, dedicated to individual and family well-being through social, behavioral health counseling, youth development and the arts. Mattie Rhodes Center provides soccer programming to youth in the Kansas City community as a tool to address children’s health issues and juvenile delinquency.

“Currently, Mattie Rhodes Center only has the resources to offer soccer programs to youth,” said Alisha Gambino, Director of Youth and Young Adult Services. “The funding from Gatorade and Casey’s will allow us to diversify the sports activities we offer our kids, to support their physical, cognitive and social development.”

The Casey’s and Gatorade Fuel Tomorrow funding provides the Mattie Rhodes Center with the opportunity to add “sport-sampling” to their repertoire, giving the 85 kids enrolled in programming the opportunity to experiment with a variety of sports and physical activities and expose them to activities they haven’t had the chance to try.

“Gatorade and Casey’s share a passion for fueling the next generation and ensuring sports inclusivity,” said Melissa Miranda, CMO of PepsiCo Beverages North America, Central Division. “Each of these organizations were selected for their dedication to creating more equity and opportunity in sports in communities that need it most. We are thrilled to provide them with funding so they can continue to make a positive impact and help young people explore their unlimited potential.”

“Casey’s is proud to partner with Gatorade to ensure the athletes of tomorrow have a level playing field,” said Katie Petru, Director of Communications and Community at Casey’s. “From purchasing necessary sports equipment to hiring new coaches, our combined resources are allowing these young athletes the chance to excel at their passions, and we couldn’t be happier to fuel a better tomorrow for these rising stars.”

To learn more about the student athletes, coaches and volunteers impacted by the Gatorade and Casey’s funding, visit caseys.gatorade.com. For more information on Gatorade and Casey’s, visit gatorade.com and www.caseys.com and follow @Gatorade on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as Casey’s on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Casey’s

Casey’s is a Fortune 500 company (NASDAQ: CASY) operating over 2,400 convenience stores. Founded more than 50 years ago, the company has grown to become the third-largest convenience store retailer and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States. Casey’s provides freshly prepared foods, quality fuel and friendly service at its locations. Guests can enjoy pizza, donuts, and a wide selection of beverages and snacks. Learn more and order online at www.caseys.com, or in the mobile app.

About Gatorade

The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), meets the needs of consumers who participate in sports and fitness, through brands that include Gatorade, Propel, Fast Twitch, Muscle Milk, and Evolve. The solutions they provide are driven by a deep understanding of the unique occasions and needs across athletic activity. Gatorade, their marquee brand, is underpinned by a 56-year history of studying the best athletes in the world, and sports nutrition research by the Gatorade Sport Science Institute, allowing it to provide scientifically formulated products that meet athletes' needs both on and off the field. For more information and a full list of products, please visit www.gatorade.com.

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 $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 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.

ⁱ Aspen Institute: https://www.aspenprojectplay.org/youth-sports-facts/benefits

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