HERSHEY, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 2009-- August 10 is National S’mores Day and to celebrate this deliciously fun summertime event, Americans are encouraged to light a campfire, start a grill or use the microwave to create the perfect combination of rich Hershey^®’s Milk Chocolate, gooey Jet-Puffed^® Marshmallows and crisp Honey Maid^® Graham Crackers to make a delectable S’more. The S’mores recipe first appeared in a 1927 edition of the Girl Scout handbook and remains a favorite treat today as Americans buy more than 90 million pounds of marshmallows* and The Hershey Company produces enough Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars to make 746 million S’mores annually! As National S’mores Day approaches, Hershey and Kraft Foods invite families to toast-up a fluffy marshmallow and celebrate this quintessential summertime treat.

“I have so many great childhood memories of S’mores, and now I’m sharing the classic family treat with my kids,” said Jen Singer, mom and author of multiple parenting books including the recently released Stop Second Guessing Yourself parenting series. “National S’mores Day gives parents like me a great reason for remembering their childhood campfires while creating new family memories by hosting a National S’mores Day staycation in your own backyard.”

On the heels of Webster Dictionary officially adding the word “staycation” to its vocabulary, National S’mores Day is the perfect time to enjoy a S’mores stay-at-home vacation. With 60 percent** of consumers considering replacing their traditional vacation with a stay-at-home vacation this year, Hershey and Kraft Foods have partnered with Jen Singer to help families turn National S’mores Day and any summertime stay-at-home vacation into an authentic, yet affordable backyard celebration.

“This summer more than ever, I’m looking for things to do with my two sons that are fun for all of us, yet easy on my wallet,” said Singer. “A backyard getaway is a fun and affordable alternative for any parent who wants to save some money while still filling the family photo albums with great memories. With National S’mores Day upon us, it’s the perfect time to create a ‘staycation’ filled with fun family times, great campfire stories, and – of course – delicious, gooey S’mores.”

Pitch a tent, light a campfire and celebrate! Singer offers the following suggestions to have “s’more” family fun on National S’mores Day and during the remaining days of summer with a S’mores “staycation”:

• Treat a Staycation as a Traditional Vacation. The fun of a backyard getaway is making it feel like a real vacation, but with the convenience of being just steps away from home. Families can pack items in their own backpack just as if they were packing for a camping trip. Include water, snacks, warm clothes and blankets for those cool summer evenings. Also, ask each family member to choose one campfire game to play. This way you’ll have plenty of activities to keep busy while under the stars. Singer says, “We love to create a continuing story, where we each add a sentence until we have a full story.”
• Make it Authentic. Turn your backyard into a campground featuring all the camping essentials. Pitch a tent to make the experience both fun and realistic. Setting up a tent will help to foster family teamwork and allow for a comfortable night’s sleep. Building a campfire is another essential element to every campout, especially on National S’mores Day. In addition to making S’mores, campfires are great for storytelling, singing and, of course, keeping everyone warm. Remember to supervise children at all times when around the campfire.
• The Perfect Campfire Companion. No National S’mores Day celebration or backyard getaway would be complete without S’mores! Start by placing half of a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar on top of half of a Honey Maid Graham Cracker. Then, lightly toast a large Jet-Puffed Marshmallow over the campfire, and place it on top of the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar. Finally, top the toasted marshmallow with the remaining graham cracker half and press together. It will make any backyard getaway complete. Remember to supervise children at all times when around the campfire. Feeling adventurous? Singer suggests turning to the experts at Hershey’s Kitchens who offer unique twists on the classic favorite. Variations families are sure to love include adding peanut butter, cherry slices or Hershey’s Special Dark® Semi-Sweet Chocolate bars to the gooey treat. Visit www.HersheysKitchens.com for more delicious S’mores recipes the whole family can enjoy!
• Capture Memories. Every vacation has special family moments that you want to capture. Remember to have a camera on hand, and snap away. Kids love to get in on the action, so have them take pictures of their own. Later, you can pick out family favorites to frame or add to a vacation scrapbook. Wish everyone you love a Happy National S’mores Day and send them a post card made of your favorite photos.

In addition to celebrating National S’mores Day on August 10, Hershey and Kraft Foods are offering the chance to win a backyard makeover with the “S’mores Truly” photo contest. Families are invited to capture and share photos of their S’mores-making experiences on www.SmoresTruly.com. The grand prize winner will receive a backyard makeover making it even easier to have “s’more” fun at home.

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is the largest producer of quality chocolate in North America and a global leader in chocolate and sugar confectionery. Headquartered in Hershey, Pa., The Hershey Company has operations throughout the world and more than 12,000 employees. With revenues of more than $5 billion, Hershey offers such iconic brands as Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses, Kit Kat, Twizzlers and Ice Breakers as well as the smooth, creamy indulgence of Hershey’s Bliss chocolates. Hershey is a leader in the fast-growing dark and premium chocolate segment, with such brands as Hershey’s Special Dark and Hershey’s Extra Dark. In addition, Artisan Confections Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hershey Company, markets such premium chocolate offerings as Scharffen Berger and Dagoba. For more than 100 years, The Hershey Company has been a leader in making a positive difference in the communities where we live, work and do business. The Milton Hershey School, established by the company’s founder in 1909, provides a nurturing environment, quality education, housing, and medical care at no cost to children in social and financial need. The School is administered by the Hershey Trust Company, Hershey’s largest shareholder, making the students of Milton Hershey School direct beneficiaries of Hershey’s success. Please visit us at www.hersheys.com.

About Kraft Foods

Kraft Foods (www.kraft.com) is the world's second largest food company with annual revenues of approximately $40 billion and sales in more than 150 countries. For more than a century, we’ve been inspired by consumers to deliver delicious foods that fit the way they live. From American brand icons like Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings, Maxwell House coffees and Oscar Mayer meats, to global powerhouse brands like Oreo and LU biscuits, Philadelphia cream cheeses, Jacobs and Carte Noire coffees, Tang powdered beverages and Milka, Côte d’Or, Lacta and Toblerone chocolates, we're proud that our brands deliver millions of smiles a day. Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor’s 500, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index.

* According to the National Confectioners Association

**According to the National S’mores Vacation Survey conducted for The Hershey Company.

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Source: The Hershey Company

Jody Cook
The Hershey Company
717.534.4288
jcook@hersheys.com
or
Cheryl Georgas
JSH&A Public Relations
630.932.7914
cheryl@jsha.com
or
Basil Maglaris
Kraft Foods Inc.
847.646.4538
news@kraft.com