Cross-country relay pays tribute to fallen military service members

Throughout Charles Jackson’s 25-year career as a Transport Driver, he’s covered more than 400,000 miles to deliver Pepsi to our customers. When he thinks about his most memorable miles, Charles will tell you about the trip he travels with an American Flag riding alongside him.

This year is Charles’ fourth year as one of the 59 PepsiCo military veterans participating in our annual Rolling Remembrance relay. Each spring since 2015, a combat-flown American flag takes the nearly 14,000-mile journey across the country, passed from one driver to the next, to raise scholarship funds for children who have lost a parent in the line of military duty. “I have a soft spot in my heart for anybody in the military and especially the ones that have given up the ultimate sacrifice,” Charles says. “The relay is an important event to be involved in.”

In March, the flag began its journey as it took flight from New York's JFK Airport to Seattle Tacoma International Airport, courtesy of JetBlue. Along the way, thousands of PepsiCo employees, partners, and community members will take part in ceremonies, salutes, and moments of reflection. The relay will conclude with a ceremony when the flag returns to PepsiCo’s headquarters in Purchase, NY, ahead of Memorial Day.

The backing from our colleagues and members of our communities seen at each stop is a testament to the power of this tribute, and the goal to provide resources for military families. “Over the years, this program has not only funded life-changing educations for our Gold Star scholars but has also helped us reach new families who deserve our support,” says David Kim, co-founder and CEO of Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation. “PepsiCo’s unwavering commitment is a driving force behind our mission, and we are deeply grateful for their partnership.”

Part of the relay’s lasting influence is due to the way PepsiCo’s veterans have rallied to make this event a success. “Rolling Remembrance supports the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation and also recognizes some of the incredible veteran drivers in our organization,” says Jim Farrell, Sr. Vice President of Fleet & Transportation and Executive Sponsor of Valor, PepsiCo's employee resource group dedicated to veterans working for the company. “It has been an honor to see this program and its impact grow over the past decade.”

The opportunity to honor military veterans and help their families is what motivates Charles, who served seven years as a Chemical Biological Specialist in Germany and the U.S. Army, to participate for his fourth year. “All of us veterans consider each other family,” Charles says. “It’s a bond you don’t form anywhere else, and it really makes you want to do a lot to give back to veterans and their families.”

As we mark the 10-year anniversary of Rolling Remembrance, we’ve taken stock of some of the notable impact, by the numbers:

• Raised over $3 million for the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation — an organization that provides college scholarships and educational support to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.
• Funded more than 480 years of college education for children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.
• Helped send 62 scholarship recipients to college with full 4-year educations.
• Traveled over 100,000 miles across the nation, making over 480 stops.
• Seen over 450 drivers participate throughout the 10 years.*

*The number of drivers includes those who have participated for multiple years.