Item 5.02    Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers

        In a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 16, 2005, The Hershey Company (the “Company”) reported that Alfred F. Kelly, Jr. had been elected to its board of directors effective August 11, 2005. The Company further reported that Mr. Kelly had not yet been appointed to any of its board committees.

        The Company is filing this Amendment No. 1 to the Form 8-K filed August 16, 2005 to report the appointment of Mr. Kelly to serve on the Audit Committee and the Committee on Directors and Corporate Governance of its board of directors, effective October 4, 2005.

SIGNATURE

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Date: October 5, 2005

                 THE HERSHEY COMPANY

By:     /s/David J. West   
David J. West
              Senior Vice President,
               Chief Financial Officer

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Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers

On August 16, 2005, the Registrant announced that Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., Group President, American Express Company, has been elected to the Registrant’s Board of Directors (“Board”), effective August 11, 2005. A copy of the Registrant’s press release announcing the election of Mr. Kelly to the Board is filed herewith as Exhibit 99.1. The Board has not yet determined the committees of the Board to which Mr. Kelly will be appointed and the Registrant will update this filing at the time such appointments are made.