Parks and Recreation

Hershey Foods Corporation is committed to being a good neighbor and improving the quality of community life. The corporation also reaches the broader community beyond where its employees work. One of the most significant examples of its commitment to the youth of North America is Hershey's Track & Field Youth Program, with major funding by Hershey Foods.

This program introduces children between the ages of 9 and 14 to physical fitness through basic track and field events, encouraging them to be the best they possibly can be. Implemented in 1975 as a playground track and field meet, the Hershey Youth Program has become the largest youth sports program of its kind in North America. Over 400,000 children participate in the program yearly, representing over 3,000 communities across the country. Hershey's Track & Field Youth Program is sponsored by the President's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports, the National Recreation and Park Association, and the National Association for Sport & Physical Education.