PLANO, Texas, June 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) today announced it has been recognized as a 2018 Civic 50 honoree as one of the most community-minded companies in America. This marks the sixth consecutive year DPS has been recognized by Points of Light for its philanthropic efforts and commitment to service in the areas of Fit & Active Lifestyles, Environmental Initiatives and Hometown Giving. DPS was also named the leader in the Consumer Staples Sector for the second consecutive year.

"We're honored to be recognized as part of The Civic 50 once again," said Vicki Draughn, vice president of corporate affairs for DPS. "It's a tremendous affirmation that the work we're doing to foster physically active, engaged and sustainable communities is best in class and making an impact."

Honorees of The Civic 50 are selected based on four dimensions of their community engagement initiatives, including investment, integration, institutionalization and impact.

Highlights of DPS's key philanthropic efforts from the past year include:

Fit & Active Lifestyles: In 2017, DPS made a new three-year, $10.5 million commitment to Let's Play, its initiative that provides the funding, play spaces and sports equipment to help kids and families make active play a daily priority. DPS has committed more than $38 million to Let's Play since launching the initiative in 2011, working in partnership with nonprofits KaBOOM! and Good Sports to bring play to an estimated 13.5 million children. In 2018, Let's Play will build or improve more than 200 playgrounds and grant nearly 700 sports equipment donations.

Environmental Initiatives: DPS continues to build on its longstanding partnership with The Nature Conservancy on environmental stewardship projects to protect vital water resources. The company has supported watershed protection efforts in Texas since 2012 and recently expanded its support to include similar efforts in California, with a three year, $750,000 commitment. In addition, the company is now in the sixth year of its recycling partnership with Keep America Beautiful as it continues to offer opportunities to make recycling convenient for communities across the country. In 2018, DPS and Keep America Beautiful will distribute more than 900 recycling bins in parks and other public spaces across the country, adding up to a grand total of 5,200 recycling bins across 44 states since the program's inception.

Hometown Giving: Since 2008, DPS has raised more than $20 million for United Way including $3.5 million in 2017 alone. Last year, DPS combined financial giving with volunteerism to hold 83 volunteer projects that contributed to more than 5,600 volunteer hours to charitable organizations within local communities. DPS also continues to sponsor the Boys & Girls Club of America's Alumni and Friends Network as part of a three-year commitment and last year made a five-year, $500,000 commitment to My Possibilities, an organization with a mission to serve adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout North Texas.

"The Civic 50 truly highlights the commitment of community and civic engagement of America's leading brands," said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO, Points of Light. "Points of Light believes that people drive change in addressing society's growing and most profound challenges. The business community plays an important role in creating and delivering innovative solutions that drive social good in the communities where they live and work."

The Civic 50 winners were announced at Service Unites 2018, Points of Light's annual conference on volunteering and service in Atlanta, where leaders from across sectors gathered to discuss social innovation, civic engagement and cross-sector collaboration. The Civic 50 survey was administered by True Impact, a company specializing in helping organizations maximize and measure their social and business value. The survey instrument consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform The Civic 50 scoring process. The Civic 50 is the only survey and ranking system that exclusively measures corporate involvement in communities.

To learn more about The Civic 50, to see a full list of the winners and/or to access the highlights, trends, benchmarking data and best practices from the 2018 Civic 50, please visit www.Civic50.org.

About Dr Pepper Snapple Group Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) is a 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 seven of the top 10 non-cola soft drinks, and nine of our 10 leading brands are No. 1 or No. 2 in their flavor categories. In addition to our flagship Dr Pepper and Snapple brands, our portfolio includes 7UP, A&W, Bai, Canada Dry, Clamato, Crush, Hawaiian Punch, IBC, Mott's, Mr & Mrs T mixers, Peñafiel, Rose's, Schweppes, Squirt and Sunkist soda. To learn more about our iconic brands and Plano, Texas-based company, please visit DrPepperSnapple.com. For our latest news and updates, follow us at Facebook.com/DrPepperSnapple or Twitter.com/DrPepperSnapple.

About Points of Light Points of Light, the world's largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in more than 200 cities and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages four million volunteers in 20 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people where it's needed most. For more information, visit www.pointsoflight.org.

CONTACT: Chris Barnes Dr Pepper Snapple Group Tel: 972.673.5539 Email: [email protected]

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dr-pepper-snapple-group-honored-as-one-of-the-most-community-minded-companies-in-the-united-states-for-sixth-consecutive-year-300668325.html

SOURCE Dr Pepper Snapple Group