PepsiCo 'rings' in February at NYSE

NEW YORK PepsiCo visited the New York Stock Exchange Monday morning to ring the opening bell and highlight its financial initiative known as the Pepsi Refresh Project.

In an effort to support those who generate innovative, optimistic ideas, the Pepsi Refresh Project will award more than $20 million in 2010 to move communities forward. Individuals can apply for grants to benefit a variety of projects, and site visitors can vote for the best ideas for funding. The project is an evolution of the Refresh Everything initiative Pepsi launched in 2009, which showed the brand as an optimistic catalyst for idea creation, leading to an ever-refreshing world. Pepsi will fund projects that make a difference in six categories: health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods, and education.