A strong effort by Tampa Bay Rays fans has earned the team a $5,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant to support the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation as part of a promotion with 15 Major League Baseball clubs.
The $5,000 grant will go toward providing cancer education for children, teaching them a healthy diet, how to exercise, and how to live an overall healthy lifestyle.
During MLB All-Star Week festivities, 15 clubs across Major League Baseball asked fans to join them in making a difference in America’s communities as part of the Pepsi Refresh Project.
Each Club outlined an idea – from creating Milwaukee’s first universally-accessible baseball league for those with a physical or mental disability to cultivating an urban garden in Pittsburgh that would grow fruits and vegetables to be donated to various local nonprofit organizations to feed the hungry.
Fans voted online and via text message for the idea that they felt should win the $200,000 Pepsi Refresh grant. During the five week voting period, nearly 2 million votes were cast. Fans can visit mlb.com/pepsirefresh for more information on the winning idea and the Pepsi Refresh Project.
“This $5,000 grant is going to be very impactful for the Moffitt Cancer Center as they educate children on how to live healthy lives,” said Evan Longoria. “I want to express my appreciation to all of the Rays fans who supported this cause throughout the voting period.”
The Minnesota Twins captured the most votes, earning a $200,000 grant to The Courage Center’s Rolling Twins wheelchair softball team that the Twins will receive, Pepsi will provide $5,000 to each of the other 13 teams to help fund their ideas.
The Pepsi Refresh Project is a groundbreaking effort to foster innovation in social good that will award more than $20 million this year to fund great ideas that help impact the world.
Throughout 2010, Pepsi will fund ideas that will move the world forward in six categories: health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods and education.
The Pepsi Refresh Project, which launched Jan. 13, features significant social engagement around people and the power of ideas. People are encouraged to submit their ideas and to cast a vote for their favorite ideas at www.refresheverything.com.
