Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade students attended Miami Dolphins’ training camp, received donation of backpacks and school supplies from Gatorade as part of broader initiative to support local youth on the field and in the classroom
MIAMI, Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Gatorade, the world’s most superior sports drink, gave Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade youth members a jumpstart on the new school year with a fun-filled “Get Fit for School” event hosted alongside the Miami Dolphins. While the Miami Dolphins geared up for the new football season, Gatorade empowered local Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami Dade middle school students ahead of the upcoming school year by helping remove barriers for participation in youth athletics and providing school supplies to set them up for success both on and off the field.
Strong evidence supports that physical activity and fitness levels are positively associated with cognitive performance and overall academic performance in youth.1 Young students involved in sports have lower school dropout rates, higher GPAs, up to 40% higher test scores than their counterparts and a statistically higher likelihood of attending college.2
After the students watched the Dolphins’ train up close, they were surprised by star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa who helped distribute the backpacks filled with school supplies and sports equipment.
“Giving back to the community and supporting youth is so important to me and my family,” said Tagovailoa. “This is an exciting time of year as kids head back to school and football season gets underway, so it was great to have Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade at practice and spend time with them afterwards. Now they’ll have Gatorade backpacks and supplies to get them ready to win the upcoming school year.”
The Gatorade ‘Get Fit For School’ event is focused on advancing Gatorade’s Equity in Sports initiative designed to increase access to sports for underserved youth and educate communities on the importance of physical activity.
“Growing up in youth athletics helped shape me into the leader I am today by teaching me the power of hard work, perseverance and taking care of yourself both mentally and physically,” said Heather Hoytink, President, PepsiCo Beverages North America – South Division. “With inspiration from our friends at the Miami Dolphins, I’m so proud to be able to help share the transformative power of sports with the students here in Florida, the birthplace of Gatorade.”
The Miami event is part of a larger effort to support students in Florida as they prepare for the new academic school year. Adelante, PepsiCo’s Hispanic Employee Resource Group, led fundraising throughout the summer to benefit nearly 500 students across the state involved with Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, the Universal Orlando Foundation Boys & Girls Club, and at local Miami schools in partnership with Jhoslen’s Angels.
In addition, through a partnership with Gatorade’s Equity in Sports and DICK’s Foundation’s Sports Matter program, the brand is helping drive youth sports participation throughout the community. The Sports Matter grants – totaling $10,000 – are supporting the Miami Marlins Foundation and the Miami Police Athletic League, two organizations that prioritize youth access to sports programming by lifting financial barriers and minimizing entry costs for local underserved areas of South Florida.
About The Gatorade Portfolio
The Gatorade Portfolio, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), is a connected performance and wellness ecosystem built to fuel all athletes and exercisers. Bringing together Gatorade, Fast Twitch, Propel, Evolve and Muscle Milk, the Gatorade Portfolio is the most complete offering in the category today, with a broad range of personalized solutions at every stage of the athlete journey. This integrated system of brands is built on Gatorade’s 59-year history of studying athletes and is fueling the future of athletic performance and wellness by delivering solutions across hydration, protein, energy, and all-day nutrition to fuel consumers, no matter how or why they sweat. For more information and a full list of product offerings, 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 $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 the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins, owned by Chairman of the Board & Managing General Partner Stephen M. Ross, are the oldest major-league professional sports franchise in the state of Florida, having joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The organization has played in five Super Bowls, winning championships following the 1972 (VII) and 1973 (VIII) seasons. The franchise also has won five conference championships and 13 division championships. The Dolphins play home games at Hard Rock Stadium and train at the Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens. For more information, visit Dolphins.com.
Media Contact: Molly Kunst, [email protected]
SOURCE PepsiCo
