Recognizing true leadership
Each year, The Vanguard Award is presented to a leader and champion for childhood health who inspires others to take actions that enable GENYOUth to empower more students to be change agents for health, wellness and academic achievement.
We’re pleased to announce that the 2018 Vanguard Award recipient is PepsiCo. Accepting the award on behalf of PepsiCo: Albert P. Carey, Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo North America. Al is highly regarded as a “servant leader” and it is his leadership style that inspires and empowers PepsiCo employees to enrich the lives of individuals, build a strong organization, and create a more just and caring world. We are honored that Al Carey will join us as PepsiCo's champion for childhood health and hunger, and for helping to ignite support among others through our enduring and expanding partnership.
PepsiCo: A Cherished GENYOUth Partner
PepsiCo has been a steadfast and invaluable supporter of GENYOUth since its inception. The company’s vision and unwavering commitment to global initiatives of critical importance – in particular its efforts to improve the products it sells, protect our planet, and empower people around the world to contribute solutions to shared challenges – have been important factors in our ongoing and growing partnership together.
Performance with Purpose
Through PepsiCo’s signature program, Performance with Purpose, the company aims to leave a positive imprint on the environment and society. As part of these efforts, PepsiCo is transforming its food and beverage portfolio—using its expertise in creating and marketing products to deliver more tasty nutrition around the world. The company is harnessing the power of its brands like Quaker, Naked Juice and Tropicana to increase positive nutrition, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, protein, low-fat dairy, and calorie-free hydration such as water and teas. And the company’s philanthropic arm is working with leading partners to deliver billions of servings of nutritious foods and beverages to underserved communities across countries and continents worldwide.
Ready, Step, Move . . . Give!
PepsiCo and GENYOUth are increasing access to the national school breakfast program to help conquer hunger in underserved communities. PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the global food and beverage company, is funding “grab-n-go” breakfast carts in U.S. schools as part of Ready, Step, Move…Give!, an employee step-challenge created in partnership with Healthy Living, PepsiCo’s employee well-being program. Together, through record-breaking employee participation and over 8 billion steps taken, the initiative is helping GENYOUth increase access to over 5 million school breakfast meals among 30,000 students in 55 schools, providing over 16 million servings of nutrient-rich foods that meet USDA school meal guidelines.
Fuel Up to Play 60 en Español
To inspire Hispanic students, parents, and communities about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity, PepsiCo Foundation provided a grant to GENYOUth to create Fuel Up to Play 60 en Español. This cultural and linguistic adaptation of Fuel Up to Play 60, including this website, take-home materials, and this documentary-style video, is available to all 73,000 schools through PepsiCo Foundation's support.
To date we have provided 55 schools reaching over 17,000 students in Miami and Los Angeles with grants to improve nutrition and physical activity and create and grow cultures of wellness in schools with largely Hispanic populations.
Summer feeding
Summer feeding ensures that children from low-income families continue to receive nutritious meals when schools are not in session. Through PepsiCo's Food for Good program, GENYOUth partnered to provide grants to 55 Food for Good summer feeding routes with NFL FLAG-in-school kits in 8 cities. This effort helped engage over 27,000 children with healthy meals and physical activity resources to get them active!
Passing the baton
As only the third recipient of this honor, Mr. Carey’s Vanguard Award on behalf of PepsiCo will be presented to him alongside our two distinguished former Vanguard Award winners: the CEO of SAP, Bill McDermott, our 2016 honoree; and former U.S.D.A. Secretary Tom Vilsack, our 2017 honoree.