For the first time in its storied history, Frito Lay's Cracker Jack brand will have an athlete featured on its packaging.
As part of its mission to raise the visibility of girls and women in sports to inspire the next generation, Cracker Jack is recognizing nine young women who are changing the face of the game with the I Am Cracker Jill Award and providing $5,000 to fuel their sports dreams. One of the finalists, wheelchair basketball player and Paralympic medalist Lindsey Zurbrugg, was also selected to represent aspiring female athletes across the country by becoming the first athlete to ever appear on a Cracker Jack bag. Lindsey’s special-edition Cracker Jill packaging will be on store shelves and baseball stadiums next year.
"The I Am Cracker Jill Award submissions told incredible stories of hundreds of young female athletes across the nation who are working to break down barriers and leave their mark on sports—they are all truly remarkable," said Leslie Vesper, vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. "We selected Lindsey to become the first real athlete in the brand's history to join the Cracker Jack roster so that girls nationwide will be inspired to keep playing and keep achieving when they see Lindsey's story on our bags in stores and in stadiums."
After becoming disabled at age 13, Zurbrugg was unsure of what a future in sports would look like for her until she found wheelchair basketball. Ten years later, she has gone on to represent her country on the world's largest athletic stage and is a current member of the USA Women's Wheelchair Basketball National Team.
"It is truly an honor to have been selected for the I Am Cracker Jill Award and the funding will go a long way in helping me continue to compete and hopefully inspire another young girl out there to never give up on her sports dreams," said Zurbrugg. "After discovering my own passion for wheelchair basketball, my goal has been to bring attention to this sport. Being the first athlete featured on the packaging of such an iconic snack brand will be a tremendous help in accomplishing that."
Zurbrugg’s likeness for the packaging was brought to life by artist and model Monica Ahanonu who created the original Cracker Jill characters for their debut in 2022.
The Cracker Jack team worked alongside the brand’s nonprofit partner, the Women’s Sports Foundation, and its program ambassadors: international soccer star Mallory Swanson and 29-time Paralympic medalist Jessica Long along with WSF Athlete Ambassador, two-time Paralympic medalist Sophia Herzog-Gibb, to select the nine deserving recipients.
"It was so important for me as a young girl to see others who looked like me competing in sports because it helped me believe that I can follow my dreams, which is why I'm so proud to have worked with Cracker Jack on this program," said Long. "The more amazing women Cracker Jill can help elevate, the more likely it is that a young girl will be able to see and imagine themselves accomplishing their own dreams."
Cracker Jack's commitment to investing in women's sports through the Cracker Jill program includes donating $400,000 to date to the national non-profit WSF to expand access and opportunities for girls and women in sport so they can play, compete, and lead without barriers. This partnership is just one example of Frito-Lay's commitment to driving equity in sports. Last year, Frito-Lay launched the "All-in with Frito Lay" program, a three-year commitment to increase equity in sports by working with partners and organizations to enhance resources and training for young athletes.
For more about Frito-Lay, see "Innovation yesterday and today at Frito-Lay,” the cover story for September 2017, on the SF&WB website.
