Recently, I joined my fellow Frito-Lay associates at our headquarters in Plano, Texas, for a Latin festival, our closing event for Hispanic Heritage Month -- a month-long celebration of the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The festival was hosted by Adelante, PepsiCo's Hispanic/Latino employee resource group, and was the grand finale after four amazing weeks of events, fundraisers and educational programs.
The event delivered on this year's theme, 'Alegra Tu Vida. . .Spice Up Your Life!' It showcased a mariachi band and authentic Mexican dancers from a local high school, professional salsa and merengue dancers, and various food stands where associates could enjoy churros, elotes, agua fresca and Frito-Lay snacks from our Latin markets in the U.S. and abroad (pictured above). So while I managed to leave the festival with my two left feet still tapping different rhythms, I was comforted knowing my snack cupboard was stocked!
During the festivities, Adelante also crowned the winner of the 'Salsa World Cup,' a salsa-making contest among PepsiCo employees across the U.S. I helped organize this contest and have to say that we have some incredibly talented chefs in our ranks! However, after all the votes were tallied, PepsiCo employee Yelena Poklad from our office in Valhalla, N.Y., won with her delicious summer salsa with grilled corn recipe. Not only did she win a brand new iPad2, but she also got to spend some time in the kitchen with Frito-Lay Executive Research Chef Stephen Kalil (pictured). I had a chance to talk with Yelena about her recipe and her time with Chef Stephen, and a podcast of our chat is posted below.
Yelena Poklad Podcast
The Latin festival concluded with a presentation from Javier Palomarez, president and CEO of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), the leading advocate for nearly 3 million Hispanic-owned businesses and over 200 local Hispanic chambers throughout the United States. He spoke on his experiences marketing to Latinos and also hosted a lively Q&A session afterwards.
The highlight of everything for me, however, was the silent auction. All the proceeds went to local programs in the Hispanic community, and, while everyone was clamoring for VIP Dallas Cowboys tickets (Go Redskins!), I was able snag the GIANT Doritos Tapatio piñata, pictured to the right. Now I just need some ideas on what to do with it. So far my coworkers have suggested home decoration, Halloween costume and fortress of solitude -- do you have any ideas?
- Joe
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