RICHMOND, VA - (Friday, June 18, 2010) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce a new partnership with Pepsi Beverages Company (PBC) that makes Pepsi the official soft drink provider of the Richmond Kickers. PBC, a division of PepsiCo, manufactures and distributes some of the world’s most widely recognized beverage brands, including Pepsi-Cola, Gatorade, Mountain Dew, and Aquafina. Under terms of the agreement, PBC will have exclusive pouring rights at Kickers home games for the next five years. PBC will also have naming rights to an athletic field at Ukrop Park, the Kickers state of the art facility located in Richmond, VA.
“We can’t say enough about how excited we are about this partnership between the Kickers and Pepsi,” commented Hunter Leemon, Director of Sales for the Kickers. “PepsiCo is one of the world’s premier companies and having them involved with our organization will make all of the experiences we provide – from professional games to youth soccer opportunities –memorable and impacting.”
“We feel like working with the Kickers presents a tremendous opportunity for PBC,” said Mark Turner, Director of Food Service for the Virginia Market Unit of the Pepsi Beverages Company. “The Kickers have a long history of excellence both on the field and in the community and we look forward to working together in the years to come.”
About Richmond Kickers Soccer Club
Today over 6,000 soccer players participate in programs sponsored by the Richmond Kickers and partner clubs, including Midlothian Youth Soccer League, Ashland Youth Soccer League, City of Richmond Parks and Rec., Goochland United Soccer Association and little KICKS. The Kickers travel program consists of 69 teams and over 900 players who compete in the US Soccer Academy Program, Super Y-League, VCCL and ADSL. The club was recently named as one of only 30 adidas Sports Marketing Clubs in the U.S. The Richmond Kickers Soccer Club provides opportunities for all players of all abilities and unites soccer in the Central Virginia community. Benefits include economy of scale, consistency of coaching philosophy, professional administrative and coaching staff expertise, positive role models for youth players and a clear pathway from youth to pro for aspiring young players.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that each generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses - Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade - also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in more than 200 countries. With annualized revenues of nearly $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. In recognition of its continued sustainability efforts, PepsiCo was named for the third time to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) and for the fourth time to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI North America) in 2009. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.
