PLANO, Texas, April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time
when many around the world are practicing social distancing,
Tostitos is reminding America not to forget the good stuff this
Cinco de Mayo… for an extremely important cause. The brand will aid
COVID-19 relief efforts while still providing a small break and
moment of levity May 5 is
traditionally known for.
Tostitos is hosting "Salsa for Cinco," a free online salsa
dancing class for the entire country, directed by dance aficionados
Mario and Courtney Lopez, to raise
money for the Hispanic community — a group disproportionally
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tostitos and the Lopez family
have partnered with UnidosUS, the nation's largest Latino civil
rights and advocacy organization, to raise awareness about the
impact coronavirus is having on the Latino community:
- Half of Latinos (49%) vs. one-third of U.S. adults (33%) have
taken a pay cut or lost a job due to COVID-191.
- Two-thirds of Latinos (68%) vs. half of the general population
(47%) say COVID-19 is a major threat to their health and
finances1.
- Eight million Latinos are employed in restaurants, hotels and
other jobs at high risk of health & economic
loss1.
- Hispanics are about half as likely as other Americans (16.2%
vs. 29.9%) to be able to work from home1.
All efforts around Salsa for Cinco are meant to raise money and
relief for the Latino community. Tostitos will donate $100,000 to kick off the program and, for every
person who joins the livestream, the brand will donate an
additional $5 in honor of Cinco de
Mayo up to $100,000. The funds will
provide emergency cash assistance to 125 low-income
Latino families struggling to pay for basic needs like groceries,
diapers, medicine, rent and utilities.
"The entire world is in need of moments of levity and reminders
to savor those little moments of joy during these trying times,"
said Mario Lopez, a former "Dancing
with the Stars" contestant and salsa dance enthusiast who often
partners with his wife, Courtney
Lopez, a classically trained Broadway dancer and actress.
"At the same time, we need to raise awareness about the Hispanic
population who has been hit incredibly hard during this crisis.
This serves as a great opportunity to do both."
The salsa dance is slated for 7 p.m. ET
Tuesday, May 5, on Mario
Lopez's Instagram Live page (mariolopez). No preparation or
previous experience needed … participants just need to bring their
enthusiasm and optimism to dance for an important cause.
"Tostitos and Frito-Lay are all about encouraging people to get
together and smile, so to be able to do that in any small way
possible, and more importantly while shining a light on the
inequities in the Latino community — that's what this event stands
for," said Marissa Solis, SVP of
marketing and a leader among Frito-Lay North America's Hispanic
outreach efforts. "I look forward to America tuning in to help the
cause."
"UnidosUS is excited to partner with Tostitos and our dear
friend Mario Lopez to raise
awareness of the devastating impact COVID-19 has on the Latino
community, and commit valuable resources for families in need,"
said Zandra Zuno Baermann, SVP of
Communications and Marketing at UnidosUS. "Salsa for Cinco gives us
a moment to move and connect with community while remaining at home
and staying safe for our families, our neighbors, and our
country."
For more information, visit Tostitos.com.
1Source: Pew Economic Policy
Institute
About UnidosUS and UnidosUS Esperanza/Hope Fund
UnidosUS, formerly the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), is
the nation's largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization.
Through our unique combination of research, advocacy, programs, and
a national network of nearly 300 community-based Affiliate
organizations across the country, we challenge the social,
economic, and political barriers that affect Latinos in
the United States.
Since 1968, we have remained steadfast in our mission to realize
a day where all Latinos thrive and their contributions are fully
recognized. We established the UnidosUS Esperanza/Hope Fund to
dedicate resources to special efforts responding to the impact of
coronavirus on the Latino community. The UnidosUS Esperanza/Hope
Fund will provide reliable vetted information in Spanish and
English, emergency cash assistance for families through our
Affiliate network, and technical assistance and support to our
nonprofit Affiliates serving over 8 million people a year in
communities across the country. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram,
and Twitter at @WeAreUnidosUS or visit https://unidosus.org/.
About Tostitos
Tostitos is one of many Frito-Lay North
America brands – the $16 billion convenient foods
division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is
headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at
the corporate website, http://www.fritolay.com/, the Snack
Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/fritolay.
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 $64 billion in net revenue in 2018, driven by a
complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay,
Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product
portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages,
including 22 brands that generate more than $1
billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our
fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably
linked to the sustainability of the world around us. We believe
that continuously improving the products we sell, operating
responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the
world enable PepsiCo to run a successful global company that
creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. For more
information, visit www.pepsico.com.
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SOURCE Frito-Lay North America