Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS), Plano, Texas, announced a $15 million, three-year commitment to KaBOOM!, a national non-profit organization dedicated to building communities. The commitment will be used to build or repair 2,000 playgrounds by the end of 2013 and is part of the beverage company’s new Let’s Play community partnership designed to encourage children nationwide to be active.
In addition to the launch of Let’s Play, DPS set a goal that at least 50 percent of products in its innovation pipeline will be health and wellness focused by 2015. The innovation will include reduced calorie products, smaller portion size options and improving the nutrition offerings in its portfolio, it said.
“We recognize that the key to healthy living is managing calories in and calories out,” said Larry Young, president and chief executive officer of DPS, in a statement. “Let’s Play is an important step in helping families achieve that balance. By extending our existing partnership with KaBOOM!, Let’s Play will provide the tools, places and inspiration to help communities increase physical activity.”
DPS will offer a variety of Let’s Play grants through KaBOOM!, which will help communities build new playgrounds, update existing playgrounds or keep playgrounds open longer, the company said. Let’s Play is part of the company’s ACTION Nation corporate philanthropy program. DPS and employee volunteers will build 40 of the new playgrounds, the company said. In the past two years, DPS has worked with KaBOOM! to build 13 new playgrounds.
