Mars Opens Submissions for the 2022 Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant to Support Organizations Committed to Discovering the Role of Chocolate in Our Global Culture and Sharing the Stories for Future Generations

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., Sept. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars Wrigley announced today that it is currently accepting submissions for its 2022 Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant through October 31, 2021. The grant provides funding for innovation in the areas of chocolate history research, scholarship and education. A minimum of $50,000 in grant money will be awarded.

Created in 2013, the Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant, has awarded a total of $372,000 to 38 historical, educational and community programs and exhibits over the past nine years. The applicant pool has increased every year, with over 40 organizations applying in 2020 and $100,000 awarded, the highest amount to date. Previous recipients include Fort Ticonderoga, New-York Historical Society, The Betsy Ross House, Genesee Country Village & Museum, Boston University, University of Wisconsin and the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County. Thousands of adults and children throughout North America have experienced the fascinating story of chocolate through Grant-funded chocolate history exhibits, lecture series, live demonstrations, and educational programs.

"The Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant has enabled historic, educational and civic organizations to create impactful programming that connects people to their history through the lens of chocolate," said Gail Broadright, Senior Director Sales, Marketing and User Experience Mars Wrigley Premium Brands. "Mars is passionate about education and believes sharing the stories of chocolate through time can help broaden an understanding of the world around us."

"The Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant has enabled us to bring to life the history of the start of America's love of chocolate at our site through exhibits, lectures and cooking demonstrations," said Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz, Director of Programming, Education, and Visitor Engagement at Stratford Hall Plantation and two time grant recipient. "The Grant has been critical to not only our programming success, but to engaging new visitors to our location, both virtually and in person."

Submissions can be made on the AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate website at https://www.americanheritagechocolate.com/grants/grant-application/. AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate is a line of artisanal chocolate products developed from ingredient lists from the 1750s. Developed by Mars Wrigley, AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate helps illuminate the stories of our collective history - from chocolate's Mesoamerican roots, dating back over 3500 years, to its place in the lives of European and Colonial American families, to its role in popular culture today. While its rich history provides context for this intriguing global narrative, it is chocolate's future, and its story of connection, that brings people together, spanning cultures, time and place, that inspires the Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant to push the boundaries of discovery. 

The Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant, named after the company's owner and advocate of the history of the Americas, has a special emphasis on uncovering and sharing chocolate's role in global history as well as its influence on heritage and culture. Grant funds will be awarded for project(s) that investigate and/or educate on the history of chocolate and/or the chocolate making process as well as the anticipated audience reach. The scholarship process is competitive, and the awards will be made based on merit as judged by a panel of experts. Educational impact will be at the forefront of this decision process as will attention to equity, inclusion, and diversity in the proposal.

Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant winners will be announced at the annual meeting of the Heritage Chocolate Society (HCS) scheduled for February 22-23, 2022 in the Washington D.C area. HCS is a group of history leaders and professionals formed in 2003 with the mission to uncover the collective history of chocolate, and share the stories of its cultural and socioeconomic impact to educate the global community. 

About AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate:
The AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate brand was developed in 2006 by Mars Chocolate North America (now Mars Wrigley) to help educate consumers about the history of our multicultural nation through the engaging story of one of our most beloved foods…chocolate!  With a flavor profile drawn directly from the archives of chocolate's historic past, AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate provides an artisanal, versatile way to eat, bake or drink a sweet taste of history. Rainforest Alliance Certified™ and made with no preservatives, AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate currently comes in four formats: Tasting Squares, Tablet Bars, Grated Chocolate for baking/drinking and Gourmet Hot Cocoa. AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate is sold in over 200 fine gift shops at historic sites, museums and historic inns across the USA and Canada. The brand can also be found on Amazon.com, at M&M's World in New York City and Las Vegas, and at the Ethel M chocolate store in Henderson, Nevada.

Learn more about AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate at www.Facebook.com/AmericanHeritageChocolate, on Instagram at @AmericanHeritageChocolate, Twitter @Choc_history, Tumblr @americanheritagechocolate.tumblr.com, and on Pinterest @Chochistory.

About Mars, Incorporated
For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us.

Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and Petcare products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world's best-loved brands including DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M's®, MILKY WAY®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, ORBIT®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, SKITTLES®, BEN'S ORIGINAL™, WHISKAS®, COCOAVIA®, and 5™; and take care of half of the world's pets through our nutrition, health and services businesses, including AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, and VCA™.

We know we can only be truly successful if our suppliers  and the communities in which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Contact: Valerie Donati
                Brand Building Communications
                [email protected]

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