UPDATE: Pepsi said will announce the “official” winners from last month’s Refresh Project on Dec. 23 after they review the applications to make sure they qualify!
The Humane Society of the U.S. was in the top spot to receive November’s $250,000 grant from the online Pepsi Refresh Project. And, in line to win a $50,000 grant was a project titled “$50,000 to stop healthy animals from being fed antibiotics.”
The Pepsi Refresh Project in itself is a very honorable endeavor. It began in January of this year. Their goal is to award grants to “innovative and inspiring causes.” Fourteen of the past 17 grants of that $250,000 amount have specifically benefited children and eight of the 17 grants have gone toward medical research.
Here are the details of the Pepsi Refresh Project:
Ideas are submitted by individuals, groups, non-profits and businesses with no more than 25-million dollars in revenue. Winners of the grants are selected by public votes. You can vote online or via text message.
The voting is closed for November and now open for December. But should HSUS and the antibiotic project be eligible?
The public vote had the HSUS in the top spot to receive $250,000 and the top spot for a $50,000 grant seeks to stop the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in animals.
In the official application guidelines, it strictly states that applications cannot to any degree “challenge, lobby for or seek to change current laws, or enact any new laws.”
The Animal Agriculture Alliance has come out saying that they are dismayed that the Humane Society of the United States has been deemed eligible to participate, adding that the HSUS 100-million dollar budget exceeds the 25-million dollar limit imposed by Pepsi.
CLICK HERE to vote in the Pepsi Refresh Project.
CLICK HERE to send an email to the company.
© Northern Ag Network 2010
Haylie Shipp
