Hershey honors Earnhardt with collector-edition bars

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- As 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500 and the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's dramatic 1998 Daytona 500 victory, the Hershey Company will honor Earnhardt with the debut of four collector-edition bars featuring iconic images of Earnhardt and the stylized No. 3 he made famous.

Packaging for the collector-edition bars will showcase one of four different Earnhardt images, including three individual portraits spanning his distinguished career and one image of the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 car that is most synonymous with Earnhardt's designation as The Intimidator.

The promotion invites fans to show their respect for the racing legend by visiting www.hersheys.com/dale. The Hershey's Dale Earnhardt site gives fans the opportunity to post their name, message and fan picture online for other fans to view. Hershey will also invite consumers to make a donation to The Dale Earnhardt Foundation at the same time, through an online charity event. Fan images will be joined together to form an Earnhardt mosaic while Hershey notifies fans on the location of their image(s) within the mosaic. The final mosaic image will be unveiled and presented to The Dale Earnhardt Foundation on Dale Earnhardt Day, April 29, 2008.

The Collector Edition Dale Earnhardt bars will be available in four varieties, including two Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar designs, one Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar design and one Kit Kat wafer bar design. The specially molded Collector Edition Dale Earnhardt bars will feature a distinctive on-bar design including Earnhardt's signature and stylized No. 3. Packaging will feature facts about this racing legend and will be redeemable for unique Earnhardt merchandise such as a No. 3 soft-sided cooler or an Earnhardt tribute poster designed by renowned motorsports artist, Sam Bass.

Earnhardt, often credited as a major factor in the rise of the sport's popularity, was a seven-time Cup Series champion and is tied for the most individual titles in racing history. He was the winner of 76 Cup races and finished in the top 10 at 417 Cup races throughout his illustrious career. To date, his 1998 victory at the Daytona 500 continues to be discussed as one of the most memorable victories in the race's history.

The Hershey Dale Earnhardt promotion will run January through May 2008, and will be supported at retail with in-store, custom merchandising.