Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Dishes Out Taste of Recovery to City Hit Hard by Economic Blues

OAKLAND, CA--(Marketwire - June 23, 2009) - Eighty years after Dreyer's/Edy's introduced its iconic Rocky Road ice cream to give people something to smile about during the Great Depression, Dreyer's/Edy's is debuting a new limited edition flavor, aptly named "Red, White and No More Blues," to help combat today's economic uncertainty. In the spirit of serving up smiles and scoops of hope, Dreyer's/Edy's has awarded PJ Jacokes, a Detroit-based comedian, with $100,000 to dish out laughter and the new ice cream flavor in a community whose struggles underscore the hardships taking place across the country.

"My dream is to bring laughter and smiles to a deserving community that arguably needs it more than any other city in America," said PJ Jacokes, a native of Detroit, Michigan, a city hard-hit by the bankruptcies of some of the country's major auto manufacturers. "We opened the comedy club in metro Detroit six months ago despite the economic obstacles and this money will allow me to keep lifting the spirits of friends, neighbors and strangers by sharing laughter and plenty of ice cream!"

More than 14,000 Americans shared their inspiring stories for a chance to win $100,000 and become the official spokesperson for Red, White and No More Blues. Five finalists were selected and asked to submit a video explaining how they would use their winnings and their experience as a platform to pursue their dream and encourage others to do the same.

"PJ's story captures the essence of what we set out to do with the debut of this ice cream," said John Harrison, Official Taster for Dreyer's/Edy's Grand Ice Cream. "We selected an individual who spends his days making people smile, and we're thrilled that PJ will continue the tradition as the spokesperson for Red, White and No More Blues. We hope his story will inspire other Americans to pursue their dreams."

Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Light Red, White and No More Blues ice cream is a delicious combination of classic vanilla ice cream with swirls of strawberry and blueberry fruit throughout. It's available in a 1.5 quart carton and retails for $5.99. Red, White and No More Blues can be scooped up in local grocery freezer aisles nationwide. But hurry, this flavor will only be available long enough for you to lick the blues this summer!

For more information, http://firstlinemedia.com/epk/taste/