Celebrating Two Decades of Support for American History Institutions

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At the annual Heritage Chocolate Society Gala Dinner in Washington, D.C., Mars and AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate awarded six grants totaling $52,800 to support research and educational programming at historic sites, museums and educational institutions across the country.

A Legacy of Impact

This year's grant recipients include Peoria Public Schools and Western Illinois University (Peoria and Macomb, IL), Levine Museum of the New South (Charlotte, NC), National WWI Museum and Memorial (Kansas City, MO), Fort Ticonderoga Association (Ticonderoga, NY), The Montpelier Foundation (Orange, VA), and Historic Alexandria (Alexandria, VA).

Since the grant program's inception in 2013, Mars has funded and supported historic discovery and storytelling through the lens of chocolate, enabling thousands of individuals to experience the impact chocolate has had on our nation's history and culture. Nearly $700,000 has been awarded to support 69 grant projects from 36 organizations across North America.

250 Years of History

"As we celebrate our nation's 250th anniversary, we are reminded of the importance of the institutions that share our history," said Gail Broadright, Senior Director, Premium Brands and Properties for Mars Snacking. "For 250 years, chocolate has played a constant and diverse role in American life, with its unique story woven through the pages of our nation's history." In early America, chocolate was found in households and taverns as a nourishing drink, and was an important, morale-boosting feature of military provisions. Over the years, it was used as medicine and even as a method of payment. What started out as a spiced drink has evolved into a beloved indulgence in many forms.

Rooted in the Heritage Chocolate Society

The Heritage Chocolate Society is an annual gathering established over two decades ago, in 2003, by American History advocate Forrest E. Mars, Jr. The meeting convenes leaders from our nation's most revered historic sites and museums to collaborate and exchange ideas. The Society also serves as an incubator for many innovative and groundbreaking projects and products that have helped share the fascinating history of chocolate, including:

• Products: AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate, an 18th-century-inspired chocolate brand in 2006.
• Grants: The Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant in 2013.
• Publications: CHOCOLATE: History, Culture, and Heritage in 2009 and Great Moments in Chocolate History in 2015.
• Educator's Guide: "Global Stories Where Chocolate Sparked Discovery, Innovation, and Imagination," in 2018 with National Geographic.
• Youth Coalition: Made By Us, created to inspire youth civic engagement, in 2019.

About AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate:
The AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate brand was developed in 2006 by Mars Snacking 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 50 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 www.AmericanHeritageChocolate.com and at the Ethel M Chocolates store in Henderson, Nevada. We are the Chocolate History People!

Learn more about AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

About Mars, Incorporated 
Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $65bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products, veterinary services, and quality snacking and food products delight millions of people and support pets all around the world. With the strategic acquisition of Kellanova, we have further enhanced our capabilities and expanded our reach in the global market. We produce some of the world's best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, BEN'S ORIGINAL™, and now, iconic brands from Kellanova including Pringles®, Cheez-It® and Pop-Tarts®. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™, and ANICURA™, span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles — Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom — inspire our more than 170,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet.

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

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