Retailer and YouTuber unite to give away 10,000 free turkeys

Jennie-O Turkey Store has teamed up with YouTube star MrBeast and his non-profit organisation Beast Philanthropy, to make this Thanksgiving holiday a little brighter for those in need as together they gave away thousands of turkeys.

Miles of cars filled with families from the Greenville, North Carolina, community were lined up at dawn to ensure they received one of 10,000 free Jennie-O turkeys. With a value of $266,000, the retailer says this was the single largest donation in the company’s 80-year history and equates to 120,000 servings of turkey.

The event took place earlier this month at the Pitt County Fairgrounds and drew almost 700 volunteers, including local police officers and football players, lacrosse players and sorority members from East Carolina University, as well as elected officials and other community members.

With more than 100 million subscribers on his combined channels, MrBeast, also known as Jimmy Donaldson, is a Greenville native and one of the world’s largest YouTube stars. Known for stunts such as giving away $1 million and adopting every animal in a shelter, MrBeast has focused on philanthropy from his earliest days online. He created Beast Philanthropy exactly a year ago, and the channel donates 100 percent of its advertising revenue, brand deals and merchandise sales.

“Jennie-O is thrilled to partner with MrBeast, who shares our commitment to giving back to the community,” said Nicole Behne, vice president of marketing at Jennie-O. “Every family should be able to enjoy a delicious Jennie-O® turkey on Thanksgiving, and we’re honoured to be able to provide for thousands of families in need.”

“We fed thousands of families with this event, and none of this would have happened without Jennie-O,” Donaldson said. “It’s incredible seeing brands joining Beast Philanthropy’s mission to tackle food insecurity. Literally tens of thousands of people are going to have a free turkey on their table because of our distribution, and that’s awesome.”

Hormel Foods, the parent company of Jennie-O, also contributed to the event with product donations, including SKIPPY® peanut butter and Hormel® Pepperoni Stix.