Pepsi Celebrates Día De Los Muertos with a $500,000 PepsiCo Foundation Donation to Phoenix Community Colleges and a Free Concert from DannyLux

Pepsi Brings Breakout Latin Artist to St. Mary's Basilica's 9th Annual Festival Along with Check Presentation to Maricopa County Community College District to Support Higher Education for Local Students.

PHOENIX, Nov. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pepsi is showing up big in Phoenix this Sunday to celebrate Día De Los Muertos and uplift the community alongside St. Mary's Basilica with a free concert from #dannylux, named one of Billboard's "Latin Artists to Watch," and a $500,000 donation from the #pepsico Foundation to Maricopa County Community College District to help fund education opportunities locally.

As part of Pepsi's sponsorship of the Basilica's 9^th Annual Día De Los Muertos Festival on November 6, the brand is activating The Pepsi Stage for free musical performances, providing free Pepsi products throughout the #Event, and highlighting local food trucks on-site.

On The Pepsi Stage, the #pepsico Foundation will present a $500,000 check to Maricopa County Community College District as part of the Uplift Scholarship program to provide 200 students with financial assistance as they pursue degrees in fields including technology and management, along with access to success coaching, emergency grants, and financial literacy resources. The scholarship will reach students enrolled in the Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, GateWay, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale, and South Mountain campuses.

The #pepsico Foundation's Uplift Scholarship program will provide 4,000 scholarships across the country by 2025 in an effort to address historical barriers that make it challenging for minority students to enroll, persist, and graduate from college – barriers that have widened during the pandemic. This initiative is a cornerstone effort of PepsiCo's more than $570 million Racial Equality Journey, a comprehensive initiative to support marginalized and historically underserved communities, #people, and businesses.

"Pepsi is showing up for Phoenix this Día De Los Muertos to amplify and celebrate the Hispanic community through the power of our connection to music and the long-term impact of our #pepsico Foundation Uplift Scholarships," said #pepsico Beverages North America's West Division President, Johannes Evenblij. "We're excited to be celebrating this key cultural moment alongside the community while also driving lasting support for local students."

Pepsi is amplifying the Event's musical performances from The Pepsi Stage which will host free concerts throughout the day from award-winning Latin Jazz group Carmela Y Más and more, with Mexican American breakthrough artist #dannylux as the grand finale at 6 pm.

"I appreciate Pepsi for inviting me to perform for the first time in Arizona. It's cool to help them support the community and make Phoenix's Día De Los Muertos even bigger and better than ever," said singer-songwriter #dannylux. "I'm so excited to be able to show up and celebrate with fans during this iconic cultural moment."

Eventgoers will also have a chance to get their hands on the brand's recently launched, limited-edition Día De Los Muertos cans. Designed by Mexican artist Totoi Semerena, the packaging includes three new designs on Pepsi Real Sugar, Manzanita Sol, and Crush products featuring celebrated Día de Los Muertos icons including Xoloitzcuintli, revered as the spirit guide to the kingdom of the dead, La Catrina, one of the strongest and most recognizable symbols representing the relationship Mexicans have with death, and La Calavera, or skeleton, a playful symbol of life after death.   

These limited-edition cans and more free Pepsi products will be available at the brand's sampling activation area. The #Event will run from 11 am-7 pm on Sunday, November 6. For more information about the #Event, visit saintmarysbasilica.org.