BURLINGTON, Mass. and PLANO, Texas, September 1, 2019 — Keurig Dr Pepper (NYSE: KDP) and Good Sports, a national nonprofit, announced that approximately $150,000 of brand-new sports equipment will be distributed across 10 youth-serving organizations as part of the Let’s Play High School Equipment Makeover Challenge. To enter, students submitted an original video demonstrating the need for new equipment to transform their high school athletic programs. Funding for the equipment is provided to Good Sports by Keurig Dr Pepper through its Let’s Play initiative that supports making active play a daily priority.
Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was the grand prize winner and received a $100,000 grant for the equipment and uniforms necessary to transform its athletic program. The grant allows Central High to re-introduce the girls volleyball team and girls soccer team and provides equipment upgrades to eight sports teams, the physical education program, weight room and athletic training room.
“Lack of resources is too often the reason kids stop playing the sports they love,” said Vicki Draughn, Keurig Dr Pepper’s Vice President, Corporate Communications, Philanthropy and Community Relations. “Let’s Play tackles that barrier by providing equipment and uniforms so more kids can reap the benefits of youth sports.”
Since 2014, through its Let’s Play initiative, Keurig Dr Pepper has donated more than $7 million in brand-new equipment to deserving organizations, part of an almost $40 million investment the Company has made in the initiative.
“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper and Let’s Play to provide this sizeable donation to Tulsa Central High School,” said Christy Keswick, Co-Founder and COO of Good Sports. “The High School Makeover Challenge is a staple representation of our combined efforts in getting more children into the game. Together, our work with Keurig Dr Pepper provides new opportunities for young people to be physically active, just like the students of Tulsa Central High School and the other High School Makeover finalists.”
In addition to the grand prize of $100,000, Keurig Dr Pepper will also award a $25,000 grant to second place winner General Trass High School in Lake Providence, Louisiana, and a $15,000 grant to third place winner, North Pitt High School in Bethel, North Carolina.
The remaining top ten finalist schools will each receive a kit of brand-new Physical Education equipment valued at more than $1,000: Leilehua High School, Wahiawa, Hawaii; Chicopee High School, Chicopee, Massachusetts; Hollywood Hills High School, Hollywood, Florida; Frankfort High School, Frankfort, Indiana; Clinch School, Eidson, Tennessee; John O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, Roxbury, Massachusetts; Brighton High School, Brighton, Massachusetts.