PEP PepsiCo Inc

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