WEB GAME PROVIDES RICE FOR HUNGRY

[Anonymous]

Web game provides rice for hungry
The WFP says hunger is the world’s number one emergency
An
internet word game has generated enough rice to feed 50,000 people for
one day, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has said.The game,
FreeRice, tests the vocabulary of participants. For each click on a
correct answer, the website donates money to buy 10 grains of
rice.Companies advertising on the website provide the money to the WFP
to buy and distribute the rice.FreeRice went online in early October
and has now raised 1bn grains of rice.That is enough rice to feed
50,000 people for one day, the WFP said on Friday.

‘Viral marketing’
The
head of the WFP, Josette Sheeran, said: “FreeRice really hits home how
the web can be harnessed to raise awareness and funds for he world’s
number one emergency.”She said word of the game has spread with the
help of internet bloggers and websites like Facebook and YouTube.”The
site is a viral marketing success story.”FreeRice is the invention of
US online fundraising pioneer John Breen. 

[Author]

November 12, 2007 at 11:34 AM