Efforts needed for flood relief Haribo chestnut exchange will not take place this year
Grafschaft · This year there will be no exchange of chestnuts for gummy bears at Haribo. The company made the announcement on Tuesday. Instead, Haribo wants to support victims of the flood disaster.
For the second year in a row, there will be no Haribo chestnut exchange. This was announced by the company on Tuesday. Last year it was cancelled in its regular format and took place only on a very small scale due to the Covid situation. This year, the cancellation is due to the flood disaster in the Ahr valley. Since 2018, Haribo has been located in Grafschaft, which is in the direct vicinity of the regions severely affected by the floods.
"In addition to helping our fellow workers and associates affected by the flood disaster, we at Haribo, together with our shareholders and foundations, want to actively contribute to making a little bit of everyday life possible again in the region and also drive reconstruction in the future," a spokesperson for the company announced. For this reason, the "Haribo hilft e.V." foundation was established. "The aim of the association is initially to work together with the municipalities and the district to create temporary buildings for daycare centers, schools or facilities for senior citizens, for example. Talks are already underway for this purpose, which we will intensify in the coming weeks," the company spokesman continued.
Chestnut campaign will not take place in 2021
As this commitment is the company's top priority, Haribo has decided to focus on it this year and join efforts for the reconstruction. "Therefore, the chestnut campaign can unfortunately not take place in 2021. We know that now many will be sad who were looking forward to the exchange this year. But we ask for your understanding for our decision, which could not be otherwise in the current situation. We very much hope to welcome many gatherers again next year for the chestnut exchange."
The chestnut exchange is a tradition that Haribo has maintained for more than 80 years to the delight of children and many adults with a sweet tooth. Those who bring in ten kilos of chestnuts or five kilos of acorns receive a kilo of Haribo sweets in return. In 2018, around 20,000 people from all parts of Germany came to Grafschaft on the two days of the exchange. At times, there were queues up to 700 meters long, with waiting times of more than four hours. In 2019, the crowds were smaller because there were slightly fewer chestnuts overall. Still: 40 tons of chestnuts and 35 tons of acorns were exchanged for Gold Bears and black licorice in 2019.
(Orig. text: GA, Translation: Carol Kloeppel)
