Empowering Youth: Coca-Cola's Impactful Community Service Project with Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. (UNITED) and the Coca-

Cola Scholars Foundation (CCSF) today hosted a community service project April 5 for the

2025 class of Coca-Cola Scholars benefitting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta

(BGCMA).

Coca-Cola Scholars, representing 150 high school seniors across the U.S., spent part of their

Scholars Weekend building and decorating skateboards and helmets for Atlanta Club members.

For more than 80 years, BGCMA has created safe, inclusive and engaging environments for

kids and teens ages 6-18, with 26 Clubs located in 11 counties across metro Atlanta.

“Partnering with the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for this project has been an incredibly

rewarding experience,” said Christy Danzy, Coca-Cola UNITED Corporate Community Relations

Manager. “This collaboration illustrates the power of coming together to uplift and inspire the

next generation, and we’re honored to play a part in creating meaningful moments that make a

lasting impact in our communities.”

Said CCSF President Jane Hale Paulsen, “This project means so much to us. Service is at the

heart of what it means to be a Coca-Cola Scholar, and we are thrilled to partner with the Boys &

Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and Coca-Cola UNITED to make skateboards for their incredible

programming. Coca-Cola UNITED was instrumental in the creation of the Coca-Cola Scholars

Foundation in 1986, so it is particularly special to celebrate the 37 th  class of Scholars with them in this way.”

“We are incredibly grateful to Coca-Cola UNITED and Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for their

generous donation of skateboards to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta,” said Lauren

Odom BGCMA Director, Institutional Giving. “This gift not only promotes physical activity and

creativity but also empowers our members to try something new, build confidence, and connect

with their peers in meaningful ways. Thank you for investing in the futures of our youth and

helping us create a safe, fun and inspiring space for them to grow.”

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program is a joint effort between The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-

Cola bottlers nationwide. It is the largest corporate-sponsored, achievement-based scholarship

program in the U.S. – providing, to date, more than $87 million in scholarships to more than

7,050 college-bound students.

Funded by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, each scholar is awarded a $20,000 college

scholarship to use at the accredited college or university of their choice, as well as leadership

training, college success coaching and mentorship. They also join an elite network of program

alumni, with whom they will be invited to engage throughout the rest of their careers.

Coca-Cola UNITED’s history with the Coca-Cola Scholars Program dates back to former

UNITED CEO Crawford Johnson III, who, in his role as chair of the Coca-Cola Bottlers’

Association, led the creation of the Coca-Cola Scholars Program to honor the 100th anniversary

of Coca-Cola in 1986.

About Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc.

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. (UNITED), founded in 1902 and headquartered in

Birmingham, Alabama, is among the largest bottlers and distributors of Coke products in the

U.S. Now with its fifth generation of family working in the business, Coca-Cola UNITED has

more than 10,000 associates located in more than 50 facilities across six southeastern states

(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee). Historically significant

franchises within our Coca-Cola UNITED family include Chattanooga, the world’s first Coca-

Cola bottler; Atlanta, home of the worldwide Coca-Cola System; and Columbus, Georgia,

development site of the original Coca-Cola formula. Learn more at cocacolaunited.com and

follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

About Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation celebrates and empowers visionary leaders who are

refreshing the world. With its 37 th class of Coca-Cola Scholars, the Foundation has provided

more than $87 million in scholarships to over 7,050 program alumni who together have become

a powerful force for positive change. Learn more at www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org.