[continued from above]
The first American gummi bear was made by the Herman Goelitz Company (now the Jelly Belly Candy Company) in 1981. Later that same year Haribo brought their business to the U.S. Also in 1981 the Trolli Company created the gummi worm. The idea was to make a candy for children that their parents might find mildly shocking. Today gummi candies are available in many shapes and sizes.
 One day when I was in fourth grade, my teacher brought Gummi Bears in to share with the class. She explained that the candy originated in Germany and then gave us time to enjoy the treat. That day, on recess my friends and I used some Gummi Bears that we had saved from class to play all sorts of pretend games. We held the Bears and played "house" with them. We played "surgery" but biting off various Bear parts, and then expanded our group of playmates by engaging the boys in a roaring game of "Gummi war." We rolled on the ground James Bond style launching Gummi Bears at our surprise-stricken classmates and teachers. That was a day I will never forget, and Gummi Bears will always be my favorite candy. ~ Stacy from Ohio |
