AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR FITNESS AND NUTRITION APRIL EXECUTIVE BOARD HIGHLIGHT: THE HERSHEY COMPANY

In celebration of its 30 year anniversary, The Hershey Company announced an important expansion of Hershey’s Track & Field Games, the longest-running youth fitness program of its kind in North America.

During 2007, Hershey will conduct a sustained awareness-building campaign to encourage increased youth participation in the program’s local and state-level events. The expansion efforts include continuing the USA Track & Field Partnership, with support from the past and present USA Track and Field athletes, expanding grassroots programs, improving its Web site, launching a Youth Track and Field instructional program and creating a Hershey’s Track & Field Hall of Fame.

“Helping the community and helping people is the essence of the company,” said Tom Hernquist, senior vice president and global chief growth officer of Hershey.

In the past Hershey has seen around 400,000 kids participate in the program each year, but according to Hernquist, the company hopes to get one-million students involved this year.

“It is important to focus efforts on something that has long-term potential that can become engrained in the fabric of the community in order to make an impact in people’s lives. It takes discipline and dedication to make this happen,” said Hernquist.

Hershey’s Track and Field Games were started in 1975 by Dr. Donald Cohen in West Virginia as a local playground program. Cohen pushed for local sponsors and in 1977 Hershey became a national sponsor and has been a sponsor ever since.

Hershey and Responsibility
Hershey’s sponsored the Track and Field Games because it fit with the company’s principles and legacy of the company’s founder, Milton Hershey, who believed money should be distributed to others for good causes, said Hernquist.

The Track and Field Games is just one of the many steps Hershey’s takes to give back to the community. In the past few years, Hershey’s has targeted the problem of obesity by increasing support to promoting fitness and activity, modifying marketing programs-not marketing on TV or in schools to kids under 12 and by shifting the focus of new product development to appeal more to adult audiences.

Hernquist said that it is important for Hershey’s to stay committed to Health and Wellness, and to promote physical fitness because society is becoming sedentary. In the future, Hershey’s will continue to give back to the community, especially in terms of keeping the community healthy.

For more information on The Hershey Company, visit http://www.hersheys.com/.