Whidbey Crosswind readers helped push Summit Assistance Dogs of Anacortes into third place in the second annual Local Pepsi Refresh Project, sponsored by Walton Beverage and the Whatcom Community Foundation.

Summit will receive $4,000 to help with start up costs for its new S.O.S. (Serving our Soldiers) program, which will provide service dogs for wounded soldiers or those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Three dozen local nonprofit organizations within Walton Beverage’s distribution area of Northern Island, Skagit, Whatcom and San Juan counties participated in the competition. Members of the public voted online for their favorite proposal. The four organizations with the most votes were granted prizes ranging from $10,000 for first place to $2,000 for fourth.

In addition to the online voting, people could turn in receipts for Pepsi products purchased. Each dollar spent was worth one “power vote.” Those power votes are what helped push Summit into third place, according to Kaitlin Isle, marketing and special projects coordinator with Walton Beverage.

“Purely based on online vote, Summit was in eighth place, but the power votes bumped them up to third,” said Isle. “They were very close to second. They had almost $850 in receipts.”

“While we had hopes of winning the big prize, this $4,000 will still go a long ways towards launching this veterans program,” said Erik Mann, a development associate for Summit Assistance Dogs. “We still have a long way to go in developing all the details of the program, but are hopeful to be placing dogs with veterans by the end of 2012.”

Summit also recently won a 2011 Toyota Prius as part of the Toyota 100 Cars for Good initiative. The car will be presented to Summit at a ceremony Monday in Burlington.