Gucci Donates $500,000 to UNICEF to Aid Worldwide COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
After donating two million euros ($2,427,900) to COVID-19 response efforts in March, Gucci is launching a new phase of charity efforts amid the pandemic. The luxury brand has announced that it will give $500,000 to UNICEF to help with the global distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, once it is approved. Gucci will also match up to $100,000 of funds raised during its "21-day challenge"—an initiative running through December 26, which asks the Gucci community to contribute donations through the company's online platform.
With multiple vaccines now under review at the FDA, attention has shifted to how an approved vaccine might be distributed stateside—but the herculean effort required to reach herd immunity will be even harder on a global scale. UNICEF is "working on the equitable global supply and distribution of a safe COVID-19 vaccine when available," Michael J. Nyenhuis, UNICEF USA's president and CEO, explained in a statement.
"No one is truly free unless we are all free: this also includes being free from sickness," Marco Bizzarri, Gucci's president and CEO, said in a statement. "Now that a COVID-19 vaccine appears to be ready for use, the true challenge is ensuring that it is procured and distributed fairly." He added, "This is a global battle, a global effort, and the commitment also needs to be global."
Gucci was not alone among luxury houses when it contributed to coronavirus-related efforts in the spring—many pledged to manufacture face masks, in addition to donating large sums—and it's very possible that some of those same brands will contribute to this vaccine distribution effort, too.
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