ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 19, 2006--Lawrence Johnson of Atlanta is on a mission. After his father died of heart failure when Mr. Johnson was a child, he decided to become a cardiologist so he can help save people with heart disease. But, Mr. Johnson's single mother doesn't have the money to pay for his college education.

Now, The Pepsi Bottling Group Foundation (The PBG Foundation) is helping to make his dream a reality. Mr. Johnson and four other Atlanta area students are winners of The PBG Foundation's 2006 Rising Stars Scholarships. These winners will receive a $2,500 award, renewable for up to three additional years for a total of $10,000, or until they earn a bachelor's degree.

"I was really happy because it's a lot of help and I really need that," said Mr. Johnson, 18, who is headed to Morehouse College in Atlanta. "It takes a lot of pressure off my mom so I was very, very grateful."

The PBG Foundation will present the scholarships to the Atlanta area winners on Thursday, July 27 at 6 p.m. during a ceremony at The Pepsi Bottling Group's Stone Mountain, GA facility. The other Rising Stars winners from the Atlanta region are: Marlee Archer of Cartersville, GA, Daniely DeAngela of Jonesboro, GA, Jasmine Graham of Atlanta and Geoffrey Wilson of Stone Mountain.

The Rising Stars Program is designed to provide an opportunity for urban youth who have the potential and desire to succeed in college, but who may have been overlooked for traditional scholarships because their grade point averages were not high enough. The PBG Foundation selected 18 Rising Stars winners in all, from four metro areas: Boston, Baltimore, Atlanta and Phoenix

"Our Rising Stars Program helps students who have demonstrated a commitment to their studies and their communities," said Ed Rodriguez, Vice President of Diversity at PBG. "Many have made these contributions despite facing significant obstacles in their own lives
- and we salute them for their perseverance."

Applicants had to maintain a grade point average between 2.5 and 3.5, show evidence of leadership and participation in school and community, submit recommendations and answer several questions about their educational aspirations. A selection committee comprised of PBG employees reviewed the applications and chose the winners.

The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc. (NYSE: PBG) (www.pbg.com) is the world's largest manufacturer, seller and distributor of Pepsi-Cola beverages with operations in the U.S., Canada, Greece, Mexico, Russia, Spain and Turkey.

Copyright Business Wire 2006

Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc.

Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc.

The Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) is the world's largest manufacturer, seller and distributor of Pepsi-Cola beverages — some of the world's most recognized consumer brands. PBG became a publicly-traded company in March 1999 through one of the largest initial public offerings in the history of the New York Stock Exchange. PBG generates nearly $11 billion in annual sales. It operates in the United States, Canada, Greece, Mexico, Russia, Spain and Turkey, accounting for more than one-half of the Pepsi-Cola beverages sold in North America, and about 40 percent of the Pepsi-Cola system volume worldwide.

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