Donate Your Animal Crossing Rotten Turnips For A Good Cause

Mayonnaise manufacturer Hellmann's is looking to "bring out the best" of spoiled turnips in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The company's Canadian branch will be running a virtual food drive next week that will see up to 25,000 meals donated to Canadian charity Second Harvest, one for every rotten turnip that is gifted by Nintendo Switch owners. Players won't be giving up anything valuable in-game as expired turnips are thrown out by players if they're not being used to attract ants. Generally, they're used to make money in the game's lucrative stalk market.

The Animal Crossing food drive will kick off on Monday, August 17 at 3 PM ET and will last until 12:15 AM ET on Saturday, August 22. To access Hellmann's New Horizons island, players will have to send a message to the company's Twitter account. It will then send them a Dodo Code that will allow them to visit and donate any spoiled turnips they have. After players help feed those in need, they will have 15 minutes to check out Hellmann's island, which has been decked out with custom clothing at the Able Sisters' shop, has a farm to check out and an outdoor kitchen.

"Whether virtual or real, at Hellmann’s we believe food is too precious to waste and we’re thrilled to partner once again with Second Harvest to provide meals to Canadians in need," Director of Food Gina Kiroff says. "When we noticed spoiled turnips is a real tension point for many Animal Crossing players, we wanted to take advantage of the insight to create a fun consumer experience that would have real world impact. We’re hopeful Hellmann’s Island will not only be an incredible virtual experience, but also will inspire players to think differently about real world food waste."

Second Harvest is Canada's largest food rescue organization and recovers fresh, unsold food from donors and distributes it to over 1,000 non-profits across the country. The Toronto-based charity has given out 155 million pounds of food and looks to minimize the amount of greenhouse gases that enter the atmosphere.