Posted: June 2, 2005

Athletics: USA Track & Field adds The Hershey Company to sponsorship family

INDIANAPOLIS - The Hershey Company, longtime sponsor of its own national youth track & field program, has joined the USA Track & Field sponsor family as part of an innovative partnership to promote youth sports, USATF announced Thursday.

In becoming a USATF sponsor, The Hershey Company will join forces with USATF to provide even greater opportunities for kids to participate in the sport of track and field and to promote both USATF Youth Programs and the Hershey's Track and Field Games.

"With this partnership, USATF and The Hershey Company seek to take our enormously successful youth programs to an even higher plane," said USATF CEO Craig A. Masback. "Track is already the largest participatory sport at America's junior high and high schools, and it is the most accessible and inclusive of any sport. We have gained a tremendous partner in The Hershey Company, whose own commitment to youth track and field goes back three decades."

Common goals

Each year, USATF's youth programs attract more than 200,000 young people to track clubs and meets around the country, through programs such as Junior Olympics, Youth Athletics Development Meets, and the USA Junior Championships.

USATF's Junior Olympics program extends from cross country running to track and field and includes more than 150,000 children per year, age 18 and under. Young athletes participate in, age-group qualifying meets around the country, vying for the right to compete at the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships, where more than 9,000 athletes participate in hopes of becoming national champions in their age groups. USATF Associations and member clubs conduct hundreds of Youth Athletics Development Meets each year which stress involvement in track & field and cross country for kids of all abilities, ages 8-18. USATF's Junior programs feature Team USA's stars of the future, competing in a single 19-and-under age category on the national championship level.

Created in 1975, the Hershey's Track and Field Games is the largest youth sports program of its kind in the United States and Canada. Meets take place in every state and every province in North America, and the grand finale – the North American Final Meet – takes place in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The goal of the Hershey's Track and Field Games is to introduce children to physical fitness through basic events like running, jumping and throwing. But the program also strives to encourage children to reach their potential and develop a sense of accomplishment.

"Hershey's is extremely excited to further its commitment to youth fitness by joining forces with USA Track & Field and by offering meaningful resources for a variety of audiences around the country," said Tom Hernquist, Sr. Vice President, President U.S. Confectionery. "For 28 years, the Hershey's Track and Field Youth Program has been dedicated to getting boys and girls more active by participating in the sport of track & field. We believe today's announcements will increase support and participation in our program and the sport of youth track and field."

Joining forces

As part of the partnership, The Hershey Company will support key USATF youth programs, including support for Team USA at the 2005 World Youth Championships in Marrakech, Morocco. USATF and The Hershey Company will cross-promote their respective youth programs, with USATF volunteers serving as "Hershey's Track and Field Inspirational Leaders." In addition, 2004 Olympic Gold medalists Justin Gatlin (100m) and Joanna Hayes (100m H), both having participated in the Hershey's Track & Field Program as youths, will serve as spokespeople for the program and will be featured in a national print campaign to promote the Hershey's Track and Field Games. The Hershey Company will be present in the elite world of professional track and field through their support of select Visa Championship Series events.

About The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is a leading snack food company and the largest North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products. With revenues of over $4 billion and more than 13,000 employees worldwide, The Hershey Company markets such well-known brands as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Kit Kat, Almond Joy, Mounds, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and Mauna Loa, as well as innovative new products such as Swoops and Hershey's S'mores. In addition to its traditional confectionery products, Hershey offers a range of products specifically developed to address the nutritional interests of today's health-conscious consumer. These products include sugar-free Hershey's, Reese's and York candies, as well as Hershey's SmartZone bars for people seeking balanced nutrition. It also markets Hershey's cocoa, Hershey's syrup and other branded baking ingredients, toppings and beverages. Visit us at www.hersheynewsroom.com.