Dr Pepper Snapple Group and KaBOOM! Announce Let’s Play Design Contest Grant Finalists

PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) and national non-profit KaBOOM! announced the top ten finalists for the 2011 Let’s Play Design Contest. The Let’s Play Design Contest provided communities the opportunity to submit playground designs – ranging from hand drawings and sketches to digital renderings – for a chance to win one of five $15,000 Let’s Play grants. The grants can be used to build a new playground or update an existing one. Starting today, community members and play advocates can vote for their favorite playground design on www.LetsPlay.com.

“The energy and passion for play is evident in the playground designs we received for the 2011 Let’s Play Design Contest,” said Tina Barry, EVP of Corporate Affairs for Dr Pepper Snapple Group. “We are thrilled to now turn it over to the true experts, families and community members, to decide the five winners that will receive the $15,000 grants. We encourage everyone to go online and vote for your favorite.”

During the open period from October 3 through 22, 60 playground designs from cities around the U.S. were submitted for consideration. Of those, ten finalists were selected by a panel of judges:

• Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority – Alexandria, VA
• Edgewood Elementary PTO – Marysville, OH
• Friends of Loring Heights – Atlanta, GA
• Helping Hands Community Outreach Center – Trotwood, OH
• Immaculate Heart Central Schools – Watertown, NY
• Niu Valley Community Association – Honolulu, HI
• Park Renovation Committee – Amesbury, MA
• Saco Parks & Recreation – Saco, ME
• WOW Playground and Community Garden – Elkhart, IN
• Yuma County Housing Department Central Advisory Council – Somerton, AZ

On November 14, five communities will each be awarded a $15,000 Let’s Play equipment grant so that kids in their community will have a great place to play.

“We’re very excited to offer these communities the opportunity to receive a $15,000 Let’s Play grant,” said KaBOOM! Founder and CEO Darell Hammond. “KaBOOM! is dedicated to saving play for children because every child deserves a great place to play. Through the Let’s Play initiative, we have positively affected thousands of children across North America, and we look forward to continuing this tremendous effort as we work toward our vision of a great place to play within walking distance of every child.”

The Design Contest grants are part of the first Let’s Play initiative introduced in November of last year – a $15 million, three-year commitment to KaBOOM! the national nonprofit dedicated saving play. Together through Let’s Play, DPS and KaBOOM! will build or fix up 2,000 playgrounds by the end of 2013. To date, 376 grants have been awarded, with the goal of creating or fixing up 528 playgrounds this year alone to benefit more than one million children across North America.

Visit www.LetsPlay.com to learn more about the initiative, apply for grants for your own communities, and join the conversation about play.

About Let’s Play

Let’s Play is a community partnership led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) to get kids and families active nationwide. The first Let’s Play initiative is a $15 million, three-year commitment to KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit that’s saving play. Together, through Let’s Play, DPS and KaBOOM! will build or fix up 2,000 playgrounds by the end of 2013, benefiting an estimated five million children across North America. For more information, visit Let’s Play on Facebook at www.facebook.com/letsplay or online at www.LetsPlay.com.

About Dr Pepper Snapple Group

Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) is the leading producer of flavored beverages in North America and the Caribbean. Our success is fueled by more than 50 brands that are synonymous with refreshment, fun and flavor. We have 6 of the top 10 non-cola soft drinks, and 9 of our 12 leading brands are No. 1 in their flavor categories. In addition to our flagship Dr Pepper and Snapple brands, our portfolio includes Sunkist soda, 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Crush, Mott's, Squirt, Hawaiian Punch, Penafiel, Clamato, Schweppes, Venom Energy, Rose's and Mr & Mrs T mixers. To learn more about our iconic brands and Plano, Texas-based company, please visit www.drpeppersnapple.com.

About KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is the national nonprofit dedicated to saving play. Because all children deserve to be active and healthy, KaBOOM! works to ensure that every child in America has a great place to play within walking distance. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together businesses and communities to construct more than 1,900 new places to play across North America. KaBOOM! also fights the Play Deficit with online tools that empower communities to join the movement to save play. The KaBOOM! website, kaboom.org, allows communities to self-organize and take action to support play on a both a local and national level.