Ashburn, Va - The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and The Hershey Company are pleased to announce their 2010 partnership for the Hershey's Track & Field Gamesprogram. NRPA has solidified its commitment to the partnership with the intent to increase participation of public park and recreation agencies in the program by 10 percent.

Hershey's Track & Field Games was created more than 30 years ago to promote physical fitness in a fun atmosphere for youth ages 9-14. It is the largest youth track and field program of its kind, hosted by park and recreation agencies, schools, youth serving organizations and community groups in the United States and Canada. Athletes can advance through local, district, provincial and state meets, and can become eligible to qualify for the North American Final, which takes place each summer in Hershey, Pa. More than 400,000 children compete in Hershey's Track & Field Games, annually.

NRPA serves as a key partner in delivering this program to park and recreation agencies, in order to enhance the awareness of track and field and achieve a greater number of active, healthy youth engaged in sports and the outdoors. Hundreds of park and recreation agencies currently participate in the Hershey's Track & Field Games each year. By expanding the number of agency participants, NRPA hopes to connect more young people to their local communities through recreation and instill life-long commitments to health and wellness.

"Hershey's Track & Field Games reaches into local communities to promote active lifestyles for kids across North America," said Jim George, vice president, corporate social responsibility, The Hershey Company. "The partnership between Hershey and NRPA is a critical link in promoting this program and conducting local meets in communities."

"This incredible program contributes in so many ways to the physical and mental development of young people," said Barbara Tulipane, chief executive officer of NRPA. "We are dedicated to expanding this program to local parks and recreation departments, which will continue to create generations of healthy, active and engaged citizens."

For more information on NRPA's Hershey's Track & Field Games program, contact Resa Kierstein at rkierstein@nrpa.org.

About Hershey's Track & Field Games
Founded in 1975 by Dr. Donald P. Cohen in Charleston, W.Va., Hershey's Track & Field Gameshas grown from a local playground event in a single community to an international program encouraging physical fitness among youths and sportsmanship between peers. More than 10 million children from the United States and Canada have participated in the Hershey's Track & Field Gamesto date. Children interested in participating in Hershey's Track & Field Games or adults interested in hosting a qualifying meet in their town can visit www.hersheystrackandfield.com. The Hershey Company provides national funding for Hershey's Track & Field Games. Additional partners are the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and Athletics Canada. Hershey's Track & Field Games is the largest youth sports program of its kind with over 400,000 children participating in the program yearly, representing over 3,000 communities.

About NRPA
The National Recreation and Park Associationis a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its network of roughly 21,000 recreation and park professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyles, recreation initiatives, and conservation of natural and cultural resources. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA's flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrec-magazine.org.