Utz Cheese Balls Brought the Crunch to Beer Bowl 2026 in Support of the Eagles Autism Foundation

HANOVER, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 31, 2026--

Utz Quality Foods, LLC (Utz), a subsidiary of Utz Brands, Inc. and the maker of the beloved Utz ® Cheese Balls, was an official sponsor of Beer Bowl 2026, the annual charity event hosted by Jason and Kylie Kelce in Sea Isle City, N.J. benefiting the Eagles Autism Foundation. The event featured Utz’s iconic Cheese Balls in the Utz x Garage Beer "Million Cheese Ball Challenge™," along with fan activations, celebrity appearances and a shared mission of raising funds for autism research and care programs.

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Held at the Yacht Club of Sea Isle City on June 25, 2026, Beer Bowl 2026 featured competitive team challenges where celebrities and fans competed to help raise funds for the Eagles Autism Foundation. This year, Utz joined Garage Beer, New Heights Productions and Jason and Kylie Kelce to create the Beer Bowl’s cheesiest challenge yet.

As part of the event, Utz showcased its signature activation: The Utz x Garage Beer Million Cheese Ball Challenge. Participants jumped into a giant pool filled with over one million Utz Cheese Balls in search of orange Garage Beer-branded ping pong balls. What began as a wildly fun concept became one of the 2026 Beer Bowl's signature moments. Throughout the event, attendees could also see the Utz-branded boat and visit the Utz fan tent, where Utz snacks were distributed, and fans could design their own custom drink holders and pretzel necklaces.

On June 24, Utz participated in the Team 62 event at The Ocean Drive in Sea Isle City, also benefiting the Eagles Autism Foundation. The day featured a dedicated Utz-branded bar with rotating celebrity bartenders, along with Utz snack sampling, iconic Utz Pretzel Necklaces and a live auction featuring select donated items, including a custom cheese ball dispenser from the Utz bar, autographed by Philadelphia Eagles players, team legends and additional attending celebrities. The event surpassed the 2025 record of $1 million, raising $1.26 million for the Eagles Autism Foundation.

“Few things go together better than Utz Cheese Balls, Garage Beer and of course, giving back to a worthwhile cause,” said Liza Darnell, Vice President, Marketing Communications at Utz Quality Foods, LLC, a subsidiary of Utz Brands, Inc. “As a snack that doesn’t take itself too seriously, it was only fitting that Utz Cheese Balls were part of this ridiculously fun fundraiser for the Eagles Autism Foundation.”

To see content from the event, follow Utz on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

ABOUT UTZ BRANDS, INC.

Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE: UTZ) manufactures a diverse portfolio of savory snacks through popular brands including Utz ®, On The Border ® Chips & Dips, Zapp's ®, and Boulder Canyon ®, among others. After over a century with a strong family heritage, Utz continues to have a passion for exciting and delighting consumers with delicious snack foods made from top-quality ingredients. Utz's products are distributed nationally through grocery, mass merchandisers, club, convenience, drug, and other channels. Based in Hanover, Pennsylvania, Utz has multiple manufacturing facilities across the U.S. to serve its growing customer base. For more information, please visit www.utzsnacks.com or call 1-800-FOR-SNAX.

ABOUT THE EAGLES AUTISM FOUNDATION

The Eagles Autism Foundation is dedicated to raising funds for innovative research and care programs. By providing the necessary resources to doctors and scientists at leading institutions, the Foundation aims to assist those currently affected by autism as well as future generations. Championed by Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie, the Eagles Autism Foundation sets out to fund innovative research, drive scientific breakthroughs, and provide critical resources. The Foundation has raised more than $50 million in eight years.

ABOUT GARAGE BEER

Garage Beer is America's fastest-growing light beer, now available in all 50 states. Crisp, crushable, and brewed for good times, Garage Beer is a no-nonsense 4% ABV lager with just 95 calories and 3g of carbs. It comes in two crowd-favorite varieties: Classic and Lime. Follow the ride at www.drinkgaragebeer.com, Instagram, and X.

The Utz x Garage Beer Million Cheese Ball Challenge at Beer Bowl 2026 featured a giant pool filled with more than one million Utz Cheese Balls, making it Beer Bowl's cheesiest challenge yet.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A U.N. official said Friday that Cambodia faces serious human rights issues, including people being displaced by armed conflict, human trafficking by cyberscam operators and the jailing of those exercising their freedom of expression.

Former U.S. congressman Tom Andrews said he visited a relocation site on the Cambodian border where 20,000 people are still displaced by last year's conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. Many told him they had been unable to return to homes in territory now occupied by the Thai military.

Andrews, who is the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, was speaking in the capital, Phnom Penh, after meetings Prime Minister Hun Manet and other senior officials.

Despite the challenges laid out in a prepared “end of mission” statement, Andrews said he was hopeful for the future of the Southeast Asian nation, which he praised for raising living standards through impressive economic development.

“While we may not have agreed on every point, there was an agreement to move forward on the issues that I had identified,” said Andrews, who previously had been the Special Rapporteur for Myanmar, whose military rulers he was fiercely critical of.

Andrews, who started his role in Cambodia in April, said he also met — freely and without restrictions — with opposition politicians, human rights defenders, environmental activists, representatives of civil society organizations, journalists, humanitarian workers, and diplomats.

He was also given free access to places of detention, a displacement camp, and the border region, where last year Cambodia fought several weeks of armed combat with neighboring Thailand.

“It is a matter of international law that those displaced by armed conflict have the right to return to their homes,” he said. “It is imperative that Thailand and Cambodia work together to expedite the return of displaced civilians.” Thailand denies acting illegally.

In a press release about his mission, Andrews acknowledged Cambodia's recent efforts to crack down on transnational criminal networks while also raising concerns about senior officials who have been allegedly implicated in cyberscam operations.

His concern extended to the plight of many foreigners freed from scam compounds who are unable to return to their homelands.

Andrews said he had received information that more than 100 people may be in detention for exercising their right to freedom of expression, assembly, or association. Cambodia's government has long had a reputation for repression of political opponents, social activists and the media.

“No one should be behind bars for exercising their fundamental human rights.” he said.

Andrews said the freedom of expression and assembly were critical issues for Cambodia’s next round of elections, saying voters “deserve the right to make an informed choice based upon access to the full range of opinions, information, and perspectives.”

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Associated Press writer Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this report.

U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights Tom Andrews pauses during a press conference in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights Tom Andrews speaks during a press conference in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights Tom Andrews gestures as he answers to the questions during a press conference in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights Tom Andrews, right, listens to a question during a press conference in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights Tom Andrews gestures as he answers to the questions during a press conference in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)