U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for August 13

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 13: KOOL-AID DAYS

Profile America -- Friday, August 13th.  Few brand name products are celebrated by an entire town in a special festival.  But in Hastings, Nebraska, where Kool-Aid was invented, such an event starts today and runs through Sunday.  Those attending will be treated to big-name entertainment and the world's largest Kool-Aid stand, dispensing 22 different flavors.  The powdered drink was invented in 1927 by Edwin Perkins.  He later married his childhood sweetheart, Kitty Shoemaker, who had developed her own famous product -- Jell-O.  It's estimated that half-a-billion gallons of Kool-Aid are consumed worldwide each year.  In the U.S., the most popular beverage is a carbonated soft drink.  Americans consume an average of 49 gallons of these annually.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.  

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2010, p. 413

Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, 210

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau