FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Baldwin Christopher J   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol HERSHEY CO [HSY] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) SVP, Pres. US Commercial Group (Last) (First) (Middle) 100 CRYSTAL A DRIVE 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 02/01/2006 (Street) HERSHEY, PA 17033 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock (1) 02/01/2006   M   6,809 A $ 0 (2) 6,809 D   Common Stock 02/01/2006   F   209 D $ 51.2 6,600 D   Common Stock               161.311 I 401(k) Plan

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Restricted Stock Units (1)

(2)

02/01/2006

M

6,809 (1)

(3)

(3)

Common Stock

6,809

$ 0 (2)

13,541

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Baldwin Christopher J 100 CRYSTAL A DRIVE HERSHEY, PA 17033			SVP, Pres. US Commercial Group

Signatures

Christopher J Baldwin		02/01/2006
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") converted to phantom stock units and deferred under the Company's Deferred Compensation Plan. The units are payable only in shares of Common Stock at the end of the deferral period.
(2)	Each Restricted Stock Unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Common Stock of The Hershey Company or its cash equivalent.
(3)	6,809 RSUs from the October 24, 2004 grant vested on February 1, 2006. The remaining unvested RSUs from that grant will vest according to the following schedule: 6,208 on February 1, 2007, and 2,333 on February 1, 2008. Once vested, RSUs may be: (1) settled in cash having a value equivalent to the closing price of Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the day preceding the vesting date, in an equal number of shares of Common Stock, or in a combination of cash and Common Stock; or (2) deferred under the Company's Deferred Compensation Plan. RSUs deferred as phantom shares of Common Stock are payable only in shares of Common Stock at the end of the deferral period. The reporting person has elected to defer payment of shares underlying the RSU grant (except for such shares as are necessary to satisfy current tax obligations) until January 2008.
Remarks: The total amount of securities reported as indirectly owned by the reporting person in Column 5 of Table I (401(k) Plan) includes 34.8400 shares acquired from October 25, 2004 through December 31, 2004; 109.16 shares acquired from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005; and 17.3110 shares acquired from January 1, 2006 through January 31, 2006, pursuant to the the Company's Employee Savings Stock Investment and Ownership Plan (ESSIOP).  These shares were acquired at various intervals.  The closing price on December 31, 2004, was $55.54; on December 30, 2005, the last trading day of the 2005 fiscal year, was $55.25; and on January 31, 2006, was $51.20.  The exact price of each share at the date of acquisition is not readily determinable.

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