by Brittany Hastings

Starting this summer, fans of ice cream — whether it is on a stick, in a cup or on top of a cone — can participate in a new cause-related marketing program to help kids with cancer.

Ice-cream lovers can visit www.sticksofhope.com to write a few words of inspiration, a favorite joke or a message of hope on a virtual pop stick. For every virtual message sent from the site between now and Dec. 31, Nestlé Ice Cream will donate 25 cents to City of Hope Cancer Center for pediatric cancer research, treatment and education. Nestlé’s goal is to generate at least 200,000 messages.

”Nestlé Ice Cream is proud to partner with City of Hope to support research and treatment programs to help kids with cancer,” said Maggie Hughs, senior manager, Nestlé Ice Cream. “We hope enabling ice cream fans across the nation to send a virtual 'stick of hope' will encourage kids working to get well and inspire message senders to continue to support this important cause.”

At the end of the program, organizers will count the virtual frozen pop sticks, and an equivalent number of real frozen pop sticks will be used to construct a sculpture to display in the pediatric ward of Helford Clinical Research Hospital at City of Hope. With the sculpture, Nestlé Ice Cream hopes to remind the children that people throughout the country are wishing them well.

In 2007, an image of the sculpture may be placed on select Nestlé Ice Cream frozen treat packages.