Hershey's Chocolate Celebrates Team USA on National S'mores Day

HERSHEY, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Hershey Company HSY, and its flagship brand, Hershey's, are celebrating Team USA with the quintessential American treat, S'mores, on National S'mores Day. For more than 90 years, families and friends have come together to enjoy classic S'mores with the iconic Hershey's Chocolate brand and on August 10 Hershey will unite Team USA athletes, families and friends at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and in Hershey's very own hometown, Hershey, Pa., over S'mores. Hershey will also be encouraging America to send messages of love, support and encouragement to Team USA athletes competing in Rio by using the hashtag #HelloFromHome on social media.

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Hershey's brand will celebrate National S'mores Day and the Rio Games during a multi-location event in Rio de Janeiro and Hershey, Pa., on Wednesday, August 10, National S'mores Day. The celebrations will take place simultaneously at both the USA House (Team USA's business and hospitality center in Rio) and Hershey headquarters, where S'mores will not only be the delicious dessert and event showstopper, but the inspiration for like-minded celebrations nationwide.

As part of these celebrations, Hershey is inviting everyone - families, friends and fans countrywide - to join in the movement to connect over S'mores and send messages of support to Team USA athletes using the hashtag #HelloFromHome. To date, Hershey's brand has collected nearly 10,000 #HelloFromHome messages leading up to the Games to further deliver love, encouragement and support from home. These messages will be hand-delivered by the Hershey's brand directly to Team USA during the National S'mores Day event at USA House. Additional messages of support from Hershey employees at the National S'mores Day Party in Hershey, Pa, and fans nationwide, will be shared with Team USA athletes in real-time.

"Each summer more than 2 million people enjoy this iconic American snack, and millions more are watching this summer's Olympic Games while cheering on Team USA," said Melinda Lewis, senior director, Hershey's brand. "Both Hershey's chocolate and Team USA share a special place in the hearts, lives and memories of Americans; it only seems fitting that National S'mores Day is taking place during the Rio 2016 Games. We want everyone to seize the opportunity to create ‘S'more' memories while connecting and uniting our families, friends and fans to celebrate, cheer and support Team USA."

To further commemorate the sweet occasion, The Hershey Company debuted Team USA-themed S'mores recipes and party ideas, which include the classic combination of marshmallows, graham crackers and Hershey's Milk Chocolate:

• S'mores Pops – Transform a classic cake pop recipe into something S'more fun for National S'mores Day. Make these S'mores Pops ahead of your evening watch party and add red, white and blue decorations to make them a festive treat.
• S'mores Party Bags – Plan an Olympic Games viewing party with friends, family and provide pre-made Hershey's S'mores Party Bags. This is a craft that guests will be thanking you for.
• S'mores in a Cup – There's more than one way to make a S'more! You can bake this delicious dip for yourself or to share among family and friends.
• Classic S'mores – To add a Team USA twist, try making S'mores with red, white and blue marshmallows.

The Hershey Company is a sponsor of the United States Olympic Committee and will support Team USA athletes through the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Earlier this year, Hershey's brand announced a two-year partnership with USA Gymnastics as the exclusive confectionery sponsor through 2017, as well as its roster of Team USA athletes, including three-time world all-around champion and U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, 2012 U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Jordan Burroughs and 2012 U.S. Paralympic gold medal-winning swimmer Mallory Weggemann. Hershey's brand also welcomed Shannon Miller, the most decorated American gymnast in history and two-time Olympic gold medalist, to the Hershey family as a brand ambassador through the Rio 2016 Games.

Additional information may be found at hersheysteamusa.com | Facebook: facebook.com/hersheys | Twitter: @hersheys #HelloFromHome.

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company, headquartered in Hershey, Pa., is a global confectionery leader known for bringing goodness to the world through its chocolate, sweets, mints and other great-tasting snacks. Hershey has approximately 21,000 employees around the world who work every day to deliver delicious, quality products. The company has more than 80 brands around the world that drive more than $7.4 billion in annual revenues, including such iconic brand names as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers and Brookside. Building on its core business, Hershey is expanding its portfolio to include a broader range of delicious snacks. The company remains focused on growing its presence in key international markets while continuing to extend its competitive advantage in North America.

At Hershey, goodness has always been about more than delicious products. For more than 120 years, Hershey has been committed to operating fairly, ethically and sustainably. Hershey founder, Milton Hershey, created the Milton Hershey School in 1909 and since then the company has focused on giving underserved children the skills and support they need to be successful. Today, the company continues this social purpose through 'Nourishing Minds,' a global initiative that provides basic nutrition to help children learn and grow. From neighborhoods across the United States to the streets of Shanghai and Mumbai and villages of West Africa, our goal is to nourish one million minds by 2020.

To learn more - Visit: www.thehersheycompany.com

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About the USOC

Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the United States Olympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. As such, the USOC is responsible for the training, entering and funding of U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, while serving as a steward of the Olympic and Paralympic movements throughout the country. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org.

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