DALLAS, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ — How are teenagers spending their leisure
time? Teens in the United States spend more than 16.7 hours a week online
surfing the Internet, as well as 13.6 hours watching television. What they
are not doing is reading.

A survey conducted among people between the ages of 13 and 24 years old
revealed that teenagers spend twice as much time per week watching TV as
reading books or magazines for pleasure. With such little time devoted toward
reading it is no wonder that the lack of literacy skills among teenagers has
been such a growing concern.

In an effort to help address this issue, Morningstar Foods, distributor
and marketer of HERSHEY(R)’S Milks and MilkShakes, and the American Library
Association (ALA) are kicking off the third year of their national teen
reading program, Get on Board and Read @ your library, with professional
skateboarder, Tony Hawk. Together, they will encourage teens to get on board
and read their favorite books while they open their minds to the world of
reading.

“When I’m home, I read to my sons every night in the hope that they’ll
grow up to love books as much as I do,” said professional skateboarder and
program spokesperson, Tony Hawk. “Get on Board and Read @ your library is a
way for me to help encourage other kids to read and hopefully decrease these
statistics.”

“The teen community is important to Morningstar Foods — HERSHEY’S Milks
and MilkShakes were developed with this community in mind. We are excited to
continue our commitment to teen reading and the nation’s libraries,” said
Julie Cary, vice president of Morningstar Foods. “We want to excite teens
about reading, as literacy is critically important to their future success.”

Teens ages 12 to 18 years are encouraged to get involved in the Get on
Board and Read @ your library program. They are invited to check out a book
from their local library and submit an entry about why the book is meaningful.
Teens can submit entries on their own or in a team of up to four people. The
winning individual(s) will meet Tony Hawk. Interested teens should go to
www.hersheysmilk.com/ for additional program details.

During the past two years, Morningstar Foods and ALA have recruited
thousands of teens and libraries nationwide to participate in this teen
reading program. The @ your library programs have given teens a chance to
discover the value of libraries, to check out and read books and to discover
the world of limitless possibilities available through reading. Get On Board
and Read is part of the ALA’s Campaign for America’s Libraries, a national
public education effort about the value of libraries and librarians in the
21st Century.

“At the American Library Association, we understand that a teen who reads
is a teen who succeeds,” says ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels.
“Libraries play an absolutely critical role in teen reading by providing high
interest materials and programs that can catch the interest of even the most
reluctant reader. Through this partnership, we can help libraries reach teens
with a fun reading program that rewards them for using their imagination —
and their local libraries.”

Morningstar Foods

Morningstar Foods is a subsidiary of Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF), one of
the nation’s leading food and beverage companies. Morningstar Foods’
nationally branded products include International Delight(R) coffee creamers,
Marie’s(R) Salad Dressings and Dips, Dean Dips, Mocha Mix(R) non-dairy coffee
creamer, Naturally Yours(TM) Sour Cream, Second Nature(R) Eggs and Farm
Rich(R) and Coffee Rich(R) coffee creamers. Products produced under licensed
brands include Folgers(R) Jakada(R) chilled coffee beverage, HERSHEY’S Milks
and MilkShakes and LAND O LAKES Dairy Ease(R) lactose-free milks, Fat-Free
Half-and-Half and Sour Cream. For more information, visit www.deanfoods.com .

American Library Association:

The American Library Association (ALA) is the voice of America’s libraries
and the millions of people who depend on them. Its 64,000 members are
primarily librarians, but also trustees, publishers and others who support the
work of the association. The mission of the American Library Association is
to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of
library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order
to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

Contacts: Claire Varrelmann

Weber Shandwick Worldwide

972.830.2896

Megan Humphrey

American Library Association

312.280.4020

SOURCE Dean Foods Company 11/11/2003

CONTACT: Claire Varrelmann of Weber Shandwick Worldwide,
+1-972-830-2896, for Dean Foods Company; or Megan Humphrey of American Library
Association, +1-312-280-4020

Web site: http://www.deanfoods.com

http://www.hersheysmilk.com

(DF)

CO: Dean Foods Company; Morningstar Foods; American Library Association

ST: Texas

IN: FOD REA BKS EDU SPT

SU: CHI