The Pepsi Refresh Project is pledging $1.3 million to fund ideas to support communities in the Gulf States. The Pepsi Refresh Project: Do Good for the Gulf will empower Americans to make a positive impact on communities that have been most directly affected by the recent oil spill.

A special category in this campaign has been created solely for ideas that help refresh Gulf states at www.refresheverything.com. Submissions for this section will open on Monday, July 12 and close on Friday, July 16 or when Pepsi receives 1,000 entries, whichever occurs first. Public voting will start on Monday, August 2, and grant recipients will be announced on Thursday, September 2. Pepsi will award grants in increments of $5,000, $25,000, $50,000 and $250,000 to ideas that receive the greatest number of votes.

«What the Pepsi Refresh Project has taught us over the past six months is that American ingenuity is alive and well, so we know there are great ideas out there that will bring hope and opportunity back to families and communities who need it most,» said Jill Beraud, chief marketing officer, Pepsi Beverages America.

Since its launch in January of this year, The Pepsi Refresh Project has awarded more than $7 million to help turn good ideas from wishful thinking into reality. In 2010, Pepsi has committed to giving away more than $20 million in the U.S. Grants have been awarded to fund community improvement ideas across six categories: health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods and education.