How Sweet It Is!

WEBWIRE – Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Lombard Street (aka The World’s Crooked-est Street) Turned into the Famous CANDY LAND Game Path to Celebrate the Iconic Game’s 60th Birthday

San Francisco, Calif. (August 19, 2009) – CANDY LAND, the beloved board game enjoyed by millions, celebrated its 60th birthday today with an event befitting a king – King Kandy that is! The world’s most crooked street – Lombard Street – was transformed into a larger-than-life-sized version of Candy Land that was highlighted by the iconic and distinctive CANDY LAND game path. As part of the celebration, San Francisco-area kids participated in the world’s largest CANDY LAND game to help mark this monumental birthday.

The transformed Lombard Street served as the CANDY LAND game path as four groups of San Francisco-area kids dressed as green, blue, yellow and red colored pieces, played the world’s largest CANDY LAND game. Each group traveled along the colorful path with the help of oversized game cards that revealed each team’s move. In the end, the yellow team finished first, but each team had a reason to celebrate. After the completion of the game, all the teams gathered at the bottom of the CANDY LAND game path to enjoy a one-of-kind commemorative CANDY LAND game 60th birthday cake.

With the 60th birthday, Hasbro also honors the game’s inventor, Eleanor Abbot. Ms. Abbott created the game while recovering from polio as a lighthearted activity to entertain children affected by the disease. In 1949, she sold the game to Milton Bradley, who marketed the game for $1 with the slogan: “a sweet little game … for sweet little folks.” Since the game’s introduction on store shelves, the distinctive red and white peppermint name has been printed on more than 40 million of the CANDY LAND games.

Courtesy: Hasbro, Inc.