New Hampshire has a new way to play the most popular game on the planet.

Advertisement 'Pokemon Go' players in New Hampshire aim to help others with PokeAid Players of the smartphone app game collect food, money for N.H Food Bank Share Shares Copy Link Copy

New Hampshire has a new way to play the most popular game on the planet.Click to watch News 9's coverage.“Pokemon Go” players in Concord and Manchester have launched PokeAid – a Facebook group that asks players to bring a canned food item or cash to “Pokemon Go” gatherings.“All walks of life are playing this game, walking around, getting exercise,” said Dave Roehrig, of PokeAid Concord. “We figured we’d hit on the popularity and collect for organizations like the New Hampshire Food Bank.”Roehrig helped launch PokeAid two weeks ago. Donations have been collected at two events so far.“We’ve collected $67 and 301 canned food items for the New Hampshire Food Bank,” he said.PokeAid also has bags of food on hand for needy people, whom players often see in parks and at landmarks such as the state Capitol.“If they come by and need something to eat, we can give them a little meal,” Roehrig said.It fits with the group’s motto, which is a play on the Pokemon catchphrase, “Gotta catch ‘em all.”“It says ‘Gotta help ‘em all,’ because in the Pokemon theme song it’s ‘Gotta catch ‘em all,’ and we’re out here playing Pokemon and trying to help people,” Roehrig said. “We figured ‘Gotta help ‘em all’ is a good motto for PokeAid.”Folks in Concord are impressed with the group.“Already, the game has people out and being more active and walking around, and now if it’s going to benefit charities as well, it’s a really cool way to tie the game in,” one woman said.“To help people that are in need, I think it’s an awesome idea,” another woman said.The idea of “playing it forward” is spreading. Other PokeAid groups are forming in New Hampshire and as far away as Connecticut.“Pokemon has changed so many people’s lives, especially since ‘Pokemon Go’ has come out, and I just wanted to be a part of that and help change people’s lives,” Roehrig said.PokeAid Concord will host its next "Play It Forward" event on Friday.