HERSHEY, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) today announced a three-year partnership with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) leading up to the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and beyond. Effective immediately, The Hershey Company will serve as an official sponsor and the confectionery partner of the national governing body.
As a sponsor of the USSA, The Hershey Company and its iconic brands will elevate the passion for the sport of skiing and snowboarding through special events, on-site activations, social media support and a digital content series. As an official partner, the company will have presence at key events including the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, Visa Freestyle International, Toyota U.S. Revolution Tour, and Junior Nationals.
“The Hershey Company is honored to partner with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association to unite fans, consumers and athletes with the power of our brands and the power of this sport,” said David Palmer, Director Sponsorship Marketing, The Hershey Company. “We are excited to work together to further amplify the passion for thrilling, heart-stopping winter sport through unique activations brought to you from the number one mint brand in the US, Icebreakers.”
The new partnership will be primarily led by Icebreakers - a leading mint and gum brand, from Hershey. The first stop in the sponsorship will be activating at the U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain Colorado where the world’s best pro snowboarders and freeskiers will hit the slopes in pursuit of a world cup podium.
As part of the sponsorship, each weekend of the U.S. Grand Prix, beginning with Copper Mountain on December 11-17, and followed by events at Solitude Mountain Resort, UT and Mammoth Mountain, CA, Icebreakers brand will recognize one male and one female for their breakthrough performance by presenting them with the ‘Ice Breakers Break Through Award’.
Ice Breakers brand recently launched their new “Break Through” campaign which features a majestic Unicorn reminding consumers of their potential - empowering them to turn their confidence into action and breakthrough life’s obstacles. Presenting the 'Ice Breakers Break Through Award' at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix events for “breakthrough” performances is a perfect match between the sport and brand – both representing unbridled confidence, potential and possibilities.
“With Hershey, we are very pleased to add such an iconic company and roster of brands to the USSA sponsor portfolio and the U.S. Grand Prix series,” said Michael Jaquet, USSA Chief Marketing Officer. “We continue a great run of showing tremendous year in and year out value to Olympic partners, and look forward to helping the Icebreakers brand activate their sponsorship to our very engaged fanbase of skiers and snowboarders.”
In addition to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association sponsorship, The Hershey Company is an official partner of the U.S. Gymnastics and U.S. Field Hockey. The Hershey Company is also a proud sponsor of the United States Olympic Committee and Team USA and will continue to support the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams through the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
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.
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About USSA
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) is the national governing body of Olympic skiing and snowboarding. It provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, USSA is committed to the progression of its sports and athlete success. Established in 1905, USSA receives no direct government support, operating solely through private donations from individuals, corporations and foundations to fund athletic programs to assist athletes in reaching their dreams. The organization is based at the Center of Excellence, it’s high performance training facility, located in Park City, UT. For more information, visit www.ussa.org.
