'Corn kid' helps donate 50,000 cans of his favourite food to people in need for Thanksgiving

Do you remember the "Corn Kid"? Tariq, the 7-year-old who became famous for talking about his love for corn in a viral video, has now collaborated with the Green Giant brand to donate 50,000 cans of his favorite food to those in need this holiday season.

"Corn Kid has a giant heart and we are thrilled to help him share his love of corn with his community this Thanksgiving with an enormous donation of our canned veggies," the food company said in a press release.

This week, Green Giant and Tariq donated 40,000 canned vegetables and 50,000 cans of corn to over 270,000 attendees at City Harvest—New York's first and largest food rescue organization, according to PEOPLE. Tariq and the Jolly Green Giant mascot also made an appearance at the event.

In an interview with Pix11 News, the youngster said, "The corn is gonna go to people who don't have food for Thanksgiving." When asked how he felt about the donation, Tariq said "it makes me feel..." and beckoned the camera to zoom in before exclaiming "great!"

Meanwhile, the brand also aims to "elevate corn from a simple side dish to the star of the Thanksgiving table this year." As part of this adorable partnership, Green Giant has also released exclusive corn recipes called "Corn Kid's Corniest Mac 'n' Cheese" and "Corn Kid's Corn Casserole" through its social media platforms. Additionally, consumers also have the opportunity to win limited-edition aprons that read, "I'm a giant fan of corn," and feature Tariq's voice sending holiday wishes by visiting greengiant.com/sweepstakes.

"What is Thanksgiving without corn?" Tariq asked in the press release. "Thanksgiving is practically a holiday about corn. I mean, every day could be a holiday if you get to eat corn at some point - but this is the one day that we get to stay home with family, watch a big parade, and then eat corn. Lots and lots of corn. It's my favorite day of the year!" 

The brand will reportedly also be sending donated goods to the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, where Tariq will make an appearance as a special guest on the "Green Giant Harvest" in the Valley float.

"We are very excited to partner with Corn Kid this Thanksgiving as his enthusiasm for corn rivals that of the Green Giant himself," said Kristen Thompson, Senior Vice President & President, Frozen & Vegetables, B&G Foods.

The video which made Tariq popular was released by Recess Therapy in September. It started with him saying  "For me, I really like corn," as he held his own grilled corn on a stick. The host, Julian Shapiro-Barnum then followed up by asking the child what he likes about the food. "Ever since I was told that corn was real, it tasted good," Tariq adorably answered. "But when I tried it with butter, everything changed! I love corn."

Following this, The Gregory Brothers, also known as Schmoyoho on Youtube and TikTok, used the interview snippets into a catchy remix that went viral on TikTok. The Corn Kid was later named South Dakota's official "Corn-bassador." Governor Kristi Noem signed an executive proclamation, declaring his new title, while Tariq visited the state's Corn Palace.