OAKLAND, Calif., March 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Edy's is dishing out its third annual Edy's Slow Churned Neighborhood Salute(SM) -- a national contest that rewards 1,500 neighborhoods across America with free, old-fashioned ice cream socials. Ice cream fans can visit Icecream.com for a chance to scoop-up enough ice cream and fixings (scoops, invitations, nametags and more) to host a block party for up to 100 neighbors this summer. Since the Slow Churned Neighborhood Salute program debuted in 2005, Edy's has delivered ice cream socials to 3,000 neighborhoods and their 300,000 residents. The Slow Churned Neighborhood Salute builds and recognizes strong communities, which are the bedrock of our country. Edy's believes ice cream can be a sweet social liaison that breaks the ice and enables neighbors to share and bond over a scoop of their favorite flavor. And the cherry on top has been comments Edy's has received from previous winners: -- "We are all so busy we usually only briefly speak or wave to each other. This was an opportunity to sit and chat for awhile. In almost 40 years of living near each other, I don't recall ever having a party for the neighborhood before now." -- Ruby Harris, Biloxi, Miss. -- "The director of activities from The Village at Sherman Oaks said it was the first time he had seen so many people in the lobby on a Sunday afternoon. And, even more unusual was that they were ALL smiling!" -- Carol Karp, Thousand Oaks, Calif. -- "Our neighbors are the best, because you can count on them in times of trouble or if you just want to talk and share something. We feel very lucky in these sometimes scary times that we have such a great place to live. I thank all of our wonderful neighbors for being so caring." -- Karen Friebolin, South Whitehall Township, Pa. -- "Thank you so much for allowing us to have an awesome evening! Our neighborhood needed it, and we will certainly never forget it!" -- Peg DesEnfants, Torrington, Wyo. -- "After four years, our family was leaving Ft. Huachuca for MacDill Air Force Base. This was a great opportunity to say farewell to our many neighbors and welcome new families." -- Victoria Glynn, MacDill AFB, Fla. "During the last three years, Edy's has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans by offering our ice cream as the ultimate neighborhood ice breaker," said John Harrison, Official Taster for Edy's Grand Ice Cream. "We would like to again invite neighbors across the country to slow down and get to know one another over scoops of our Slow Churned(R) Light Ice Cream." Studies confirm that having neighbors who know each other offers significant benefits to a community. Harvard's Kennedy School of Government Seguaro Seminar on Civic Engagement in America has hypothesized that if 10 percent more citizens knew their neighbors' first names that would be a better neighborhood crime prevention strategy than adding 10 percent more police officers. Ice cream lovers are invited to nominate their neighborhoods to win a doorstep delivery of 12 cartons of Edy's Slow Churned in a variety of flavors, including the new American Idol Limited Edition Flavors. With half the fat and 30 percent fewer calories than regular ice cream, Edy's Slow Churned gives neighbors even more reason to celebrate. Each Neighborhood Salute party comes complete with a "Party in a Box" which includes napkins, spoons, scoops, cups, bowls and other supplies to host up to 100 neighbors. More about Edy's Slow Churned Neighborhood Salute Contest: Visit Icecream.com beginning March 14, 2007, and submit a paragraph (350 words or less) explaining why your neighborhood deserves a "Edy's Slow Churned Neighborhood Salute." Contestants must be residents of the United States and at least 13 years of age as of March 14, 2007. Official contest rules and entry forms will be available on Icecream.com beginning March 14, 2007. All entries must be received by May 25, 2007. Edy's will notify the winners in June and will salute each of the 1,500 winning neighborhoods with an Edy's Slow Churned prize package during July and August. Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings, Inc., and its subsidiaries manufacture and distribute a full spectrum of ice cream and frozen dessert products. Brands of frozen dessert products currently manufactured or distributed by Dreyer's in the United States include Grand, Slow Churned(R), Dibs(R), Haagen-Dazs(R), Nestle(R) Drumstick(R), Nestle Crunch(R), Nestle(R) Butterfinger(R), Nestle(R) Toll House(R), Nestle(R) Carnation(R), Nestle(R) Push-Up(R), Frosty Paws(R), Eskimo Pie(R), Chipwich(R), Fruit Bars, Starbucks(R) and The Skinny Cow(R). The company's premium products are marketed under the Dreyer's brand name throughout the Western states and Texas, and under the Edy's(R) brand name throughout the remainder of the United States. Internationally, the Dreyer's brand extends to select markets in the Far East and the Edy's brand extends to the Caribbean and South America. For more information on the company, please visit http://www.dreyersinc.com/. The Starbucks trademark is owned by Starbucks U.S. Brands, LLC and is licensed to the Starbucks Ice Cream Partnership, a joint venture partnership between Dreyer's and Starbucks Holding Company. In the U.S. the Haagen-Dazs trademark is sub-licensed to Dreyer's by Nestle. DATASOURCE: Edy's Grand Ice Cream CONTACT: Kim Goeller-Johnson of Edy's, +1-510-601-4211, ; or Sharon Foldes of Ketchum, +1-415-984-6178, , for Edy's Web site: http://www.edys.com/

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