Feb 13, 2017
Starting today through Friday, Le Roy will be celebrating National Jell-O Week after Mayor Greg Rogers officially proclaimed it so.
National Jell-O Week started in Utah when Salt Lake City students started a petition to have the state of Utah declare Jell-O the official state snack.
“That happened in 2001. The state legislature in Utah declared Jell-O the official state snack,” said Lynne Belluscio, Le Roy historian. “In 2002 when the Salt Lake City Olympics were taking place that just happened to be also during the week they had declared Jell-O the official state snack. So they kind of declared it National Jell-O Week.”
However, it isn’t an official holiday and the Jell-O company in Chicago doesn’t have anything to do with it. Belluscio said the museum fields call every year, though, from schools and other museums asking about National Jell-O Week. As a result, she asked the mayor to declare Feb. 13-17 National Jell-O Week in Le Roy.
“I just thought we would make it official here in Le Roy because Jell-O is from here,” she said.
Jell-O was invented in 1897 by a carpenter, Pearle Bixby Wait. Two years later, he sold the rights to Jell-O for $450 to a Le Roy businessman, Orator Woodward. In less than 10 years, Jell-O was grossing $1 million a year. Eventually, Jell-O was part of the General Foods Company and in 1964, the Jell-O factory in Le Roy closed.
The Jell-O museum is open during National Jell-O Week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
For more information contact: Lynne Belluscio, Director LeRoy Historical Society, 585-768-7433
