Buy Virtual Corn in Farmville and Donate Real Food to Haiti
The devastation from the magnitude 7.0 Earthquake that hit Haiti has been enormous and companies and individuals from across the world have been starting campaigns to help aid releif efforts in the area. One of the more unique ways a tech company is doing its part comes from Zynga, the maker of popular online social games such as Farmville and MafiaWars, both of which have millions of users on Facebook.
The company, which generates much of its revenue from the sale of virtual goods, has created special edition relief goods which can be purchased by its users. 100% of the proceeds from the sales of these goods will be donated to Haiti. Though the campaign just started, the company is reporting that over $1.2 Million has been raised from the program.
The official press release is below.
SAN FRANCISCO – Jan. 14, 2010 – Starting tonight, Zynga will run a special relief campaign in three of its top games that reach over 40 million users daily. Users can purchase limited edition social goods in FarmVille, Mafia Wars and Zynga Poker, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go towards supporting emergency aid in Haiti. All contributions to the Haiti Relief Fund will benefit the World Food Programme (WFP) which has set up an emergency response team to distribute food and other relief to thousands in Haiti affected by the devastating earthquake.
Zynga’s users have already raised $1.2 million for Haiti through purchasing virtual social goods. The funds have provided school lunches to Haitian children and contributed to a revolving loan campaign for Haitian women living in extreme poverty.
In the new campaign, users can purchase white corn within FarmVille that will not wither if left unattended for a week or a Haitian drum in Mafia Wars. Zynga Poker fans that buy a special chip package will receive a rare premium item. Additionally, users can donate directly to the WFP through Zynga.org.
“The devastation in Haiti is unimaginable, and anything we or our users can do is tiny compared to the utter loss for this nation,” said Mark Pincus, Zynga’s CE
