by Phil Phillips - Friday, October 15, 2021
It’s always good news when a national brand takes a stand to support hunting, fishing and our outdoor way of life. Demonstrating its commitment to sportsmen once again is PepsiCo’s MTN DEW, which on Oct. 4 launched its second annual Outdoor Grants initiative. The program will award $200,000 in the form of $5,000 grants to 40 outdoor nonprofit organizations throughout America’s Heartland that have endured funding and volunteer-participation challenges due to the pandemic.
In focusing on the Heartland, that special central region of America that offers countless outdoor opportunities and is important both to our country and to our culture, who better for MTN DEW to team up with to promote Outdoor Grants than country music’s Chase Rice? The fellow outdoorsman, who has sold more than 2 million albums and achieved nearly 2 billion total streams, just worked with MTN DEW to produce a YouTube video urging us all to nominate our favorite local community nonprofits. Rice is shown strumming his guitar and singing “America the Beautiful,” invoking our patriotism as outdoor and nature scenes play in the background. The video also spotlights the winners of the inaugural MTN DEW Outdoor Grants program from 2020.
As for why Rice specifically sings “America the Beautiful,” he explains, “This classic song perfectly sums up everything that makes the American Heartland special. I'm proud to collaborate with MTN DEW as a DEW Outdoor ambassador to help support even more organizations that protect these lands for future generations to come.”
In its news release, MTN DEW says that Rice’s performance is an ode to both the Heartland’s many outdoor opportunities and to the community organizations that preserve and protect them.
“Community nonprofit organizations are at the forefront of preserving and protecting the outdoor spaces where DEW Nation pursues its passions,” said Jill Abbott, chief marketing officer of PepsiCo Beverages North America, Central Division. “Through MTN DEW Outdoor Grants, we’re looking to support and raise awareness of local nonprofits across the Heartland who have faced a difficult and uncertain year and are often overlooked. Through Rice's performance, we hope to inspire outdoor enthusiasts and nonprofits to get involved and nominate the local organizations that make an impact in their backyards.”
All nominations and/or applications for $5,000 MTN DEW Outdoor Grants must be received by Nov. 8. The program is open to all U.S. residents ages 18 and up and to all U.S.-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations. For more details, visit www.dewoutdoorgrants.com. Organizations must meet one of three categories: outdoor conservation, outdoor participation or outdoor access/infrastructure. MTN DEW will reward the 40 organizations who best demonstrate their local community impact in preserving and protecting the outdoors through three judging categories: authenticity and creativity, local community impact, and influence on outdoor conservation or participation. Judging will be done by a panel led by Rice with winners announced in January 2022. For the program’s list of terms and conditions, click here.
MTN DEW’s Outdoor Grants are no big surprise to hunters, anglers and shooters considering it spent $100,000 last summer to help us buy our hunting and fishing licenses through its “Out Here It’s Dew” campaign. Amid the pandemic in 2020, it gave 5,000 sportsmen and women $20 each toward their hunting and fishing licenses, calling the campaign its version of an outdoor stimulus. If you were one of 100 people to apply each day for 50 days, you reeled in that $20. The timing couldn’t have been better as we all craved time outdoors while social distancing.
For another testament to the brand’s commitment to supporting the outdoor life, by the way, it doubled its Outdoor Grants funds from last year’s inaugural program. And in addition to the program grants, through Nov. 19 it’s offering “Get Out and Do” prizes including a year’s worth of MTN DEW, a bumpboxx and a 2022 FORD F-150. Visit http://www.DEWOutdoors.com for details.
It’s clear MTN DEW understands our “thirst” for outdoor adventure and freedom, whether it’s to go hunting, break a few clays or get out on the lake in that bass boat. Whatever our passion, MTN DEW continues to support our quest to enjoy “America the Beautiful.”
Fast Facts about PepsiCo
Did you know PepsiCo reports its 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 $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that in addition to MTN DEW includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. The PepsiCo vision is to “Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose” as it seeks to “win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into its brands.”