River Street Sweets, Savannah's world-renowned candy company celebrating its 50th year in business in 2023, is proudly commemorating its golden anniversary by making a generous contribution of $14,551 to Kids Cafe, an initiative by Feeding America, the largest charity working to end hunger in the United States. The check presentation ceremony will take place on Wednesday, September 6, at 2 p.m. at America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, 2501 E. President St., Savannah, Ga. 

The donation is part of the company's 50th anniversary celebration, highlighting the Strickland Family's unwavering commitment to philanthropy.

"We've been blessed with the fortune to share our delectable Southern treats with visitors to our stores in Savannah, at our many other locations, and really all over the world. Our family feels like success is sweeter when you give back, and Kids Cafe is a wonderful program that we're thrilled to support," said Co-Owner Jennifer Strickland.

This marks the seventh consecutive year that River Street Sweets has supported Feeding America and its hunger relief initiatives. With this generous contribution, a total of 72,755 meals will be provided to children and families facing hunger. In total, the company has helped to provide over 238,000 meals. 

Last year, River Street Sweets, River Street Sweets•Savannah’s Candy Kitchen, and Savannah’s Candy Kitchen collectively celebrated National Pralines Day with an in-store and online promotion, providing an impressive 52,590 meals. This year, they've surpassed that benchmark by nearly 40%.

River Street Sweets is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023 with a series of events. The grand opening of its third Savannah location on Broughton Street downtown kicked off the celebration, followed by a salute to National Pecan Day in April, and, most recently, National Pralines Day.

“We didn’t think one day was enough, so we celebrated an entire month at our locations across the country,” said Jennifer Strickland. 

"Our River Street Sweets family and our franchise brand are proud to partner with Feeding America and its mission to help children in need. Our 50th anniversary felt like the perfect time to double down on our support of this wonderful organization that brings hope to hungry kids across America," said Co-Owner Tim Strickland. 

Tim is actually credited with getting his parents, Stan and Pam Strickland, into the candy business in the first place. It all started when the family attended the Atlanta Gift Market show, hoping to find new items for their struggling gift store. Young Tim insisted his parents buy a copper fudge pot he spotted. After initial hesitation, they relented, and a week later, Jennifer made her first batch of mint chocolate fudge for St. Patrick’s Day. It sold out fast, and the rest, as they say, is sweet history. The store quickly converted to a candy shop and the River Street Sweets success story was born. Soon, after, the Strickland family praline recipe was born. Today, River Street Sweets is Savannah's oldest and most distinguished candy store with a franchise expansion program named River Street Sweets•Savannah’s Candy Kitchen.

For more information on the 50th anniversary, visit www.riverstreetsweets.com.