To shine a light on female athletes, Cracker
Jack® is funding sports dreams for nine "I Am Cracker
Jill® Award" winners and featuring the grand prize
winner on brand packaging in 2024
PLANO,
Texas, July 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As part
of its mission to increase the visibility of girls and women in
sports to inspire the next generation, Cracker Jack® is
recognizing nine young women today with the I Am Cracker
Jill® Award. These recipients are changing the
face of the game one goal, one run or one point at a time and will
receive $5,000 from Cracker Jack to
support their sports endeavors. The grand prize winner,
Lindsey Zurbrugg, was also selected
to represent aspiring female athletes across the country by being
the first athlete to join the Cracker Jill roster and appear
on special-edition Cracker Jill packaging.
"The I Am Cracker Jill Award submissions told incredible
stories of hundreds of young female athletes across the nation who
are working to break down barriers and leave their mark on sports –
they are all truly remarkable," said Leslie
Vesper, vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. "We selected Lindsey to
become the first real athlete in the brand's history to join the
Cracker Jack roster so that girls nationwide will be inspired to
keep playing and keep achieving when they see Lindsey's story on
our bags in stores and in stadiums."
After becoming disabled at age 13, Lindsey was unsure of what a
future in sports would look like for her until she found wheelchair
basketball. Ten years later, she has gone on to represent her
country on the world's largest athletic stage and is a current
member of the USA Women's
Wheelchair Basketball National Team.
"It is truly an honor to have been selected for the I Am
Cracker Jill Award and the funding will go a long way in
helping me continue to compete and hopefully inspire another young
girl out there to never give up on her sports dreams," said
Zurbrugg. "After discovering my own passion for wheelchair
basketball, my goal has been to bring attention to this sport.
Being the first athlete featured on the packaging of such an iconic
snack brand will be a tremendous help in accomplishing that."
Zurbrugg's likeness for the packaging was brought to life by
artist and model, Monica Ahanonu. An
expert in color theory and a trailblazer for Black artists, Ahanonu
created the original Cracker Jill characters for their debut in
2022. The limited-edition packaging featuring Zurbrugg will be
available in stores and stadiums nationwide next year.
Recipients were selected from hundreds of inspiring female
applicants who applied to the contest through a partnership between
Cracker Jack, the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) and program
ambassadors: international soccer star Mallory Swanson, professional swimmer and
29-time Paralympic medalist Jessica
Long along with WSF Athlete Ambassador and two-time
Paralympic medalist Sophia
Herzog-Gibb.
"It was so important for me as a young girl to see others who
looked like me competing in sports because it helped me believe
that I can follow my dreams, which is why I'm so proud to have
worked with Cracker Jack on this program," said Long. "The more
amazing women Cracker Jill can help elevate, the more likely it is
that a young girl will be able to see and imagine themselves
accomplishing their own dreams."
To reach more girls with the encouraging stories of its I Am
Cracker Jill Award recipients, Swanson will introduce the
winners as the next generation of athletes changing the game during
a new Cracker Jack :30 commercial that will air on FOX
throughout the duration of the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia
& New Zealand 2023™.
Selected for their tenacity on and off the field, the full list
of I Am Cracker Jill Award finalists include:
- Bella Rasmussen,
Football: From Laguna Beach,
Calif., Bella has spent the past four years under the Friday
night lights playing football in the hopes of inspiring other young
women and girls to pursue their interest in football.
- Corinne Thompson,
Modern Pentathlon: From Gainesville, Ga., Corinne learned what it
takes to compete with the best in the world after having competed
at the international level and continues to train and work hard to
prove to herself that she belongs with the best.
- Emma Stertz, Biathlon: Emma credits her hometown of
Grand Rapids, Minn. for helping
her discover her passion for biathlon, which in turn has helped
teach her how to deal with setbacks, especially in overcoming her
diagnosis of Scheuermann's malformation of the spine.
- Jaleen Roberts, Paralympic Track
& Field: From Chula
Vista, Calif., Jaleen is a two-time Paralympic medalist and
uses her platform to inspire other young, marginalized athletes and
advocate for ending the stigma around mental health.
- Lindsey Zurbrugg,
Wheelchair Basketball: From Hillsboro, Ore., Lindsey understands the
important life lessons people can learn from sports like the
importance of accountability, work ethic and timeliness.
- Olivia Ohlson-Ellis, Golf and Softball: From
Evanston, Ill, Olivia has played a
wide range of sports. Sports have taught her important leadership
and life skills and she hopes through her sports service work she
will help keep young girls participating in golf and softball.
- Sally Cohen, Surfing:
Having grown up in Haleiwa,
Hawaii, surfing is way more than a sport to Sally, it's a
way of life. As a professional surfer, her sports dream is to
inspire other female competitors to be the best versions of
themselves.
- Sohana Raisa,
Weightlifting: From Sanford,
Fla., Sohana is the only Bangladeshi female and Hijabi high
school competitive lifter in the state and has used her passion for
sports to overcome every obstacle and stereotype in her way to
achieve her dreams.
- Tahirah Abdul-Qadir,
Martial Arts: Born into a family of world-champion
martial artists in Syracuse, N.Y.,
punching and kicking was always in Tahirah's future, and she has a
laundry list of accolades in the sport to show for it.
"We are proud to continue our partnership on this powerful
Cracker Jill initiative," said Danette
Leighton, WSF CEO. "We at the Women's Sports Foundation know
the importance of powerful images to celebrate and inspire young
girls and women to reach their potential in sport and in life. It
is our hope that these Cracker Jill athletes encourage and empower
more girls and young women across the nation to keep
playing."
Cracker Jack's commitment to investing in women's sports through
the Cracker Jill program includes donating $400,000 to date to the national non-profit WSF
to expand access and opportunities for girls and women in sport so
they can play, compete, and lead without barriers. This partnership
is just one example of Frito-Lay's commitment to driving equity in
sports. Last year, Frito-Lay launched the "All-in with Frito Lay" program, a three-year commitment to
increase equity in sports by working with partners and
organizations to enhance resources and training for young
athletes.
For more information on Cracker Jack and the I Am Cracker
Jill Award finalists, visit www.CrackerJill.com and follow
the brand on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
About Cracker Jack
Cracker Jack® brand has been an American favorite for
over 120 years and is one of many Frito-Lay
North America brands— the $23
billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo, Inc.
(NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Cracker Jack on
Instagram (@crackerjackofficial_) on Twitter (@crackerjackUSA) and
on Facebook (@CrackerJack).
About Frito-Lay North
America
Frito-Lay North
America, Inc. is the $23
billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:
PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase,
NY. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay's® and
Ruffles® potato chips, Doritos® and
Tostitos® tortilla chips and branded dips,
Cheetos® snacks, Stacy's® pita chips,
PopCorners® popped-corn snack, SunChips®
multigrain snacks and Fritos® corn chips. The company
operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and
Canada, more than 200 distribution
centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its
direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the
corporate website, www.fritolay.com, on Twitter (@fritolay), on
Instagram (@fritolay) and on Facebook (Frito-Lay).
About Women's Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports
Foundation exists to enable girls and women to reach their
potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate and a
catalyst. Founded by Billie Jean
King in 1974, we strengthen and expand participation and
leadership opportunities through research, advocacy, community
programming and a wide variety of collaborative partnerships. From
its inception to Title IX's 50th anniversary in 2022, WSF has
invested over $100 million in these
impact efforts, helping to shape the lives of millions of youth,
high school and collegiate student-athletes, elite athletes and
coaches. We're building a future where every girl and woman can
#KeepPlaying and unlock the lifelong benefits of sport
participation. All girls. All women. All
sports.® To learn more about the Women's
Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.
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SOURCE Frito-Lay North America;
PepsiCo