Nike (RED) press day was yesterday, and begins the campaign to help save lives through awareness and direct support. Below are just a couple of press releases from yesterday. From soccer enthused site to People magazine, this was a big event.
http://www.soccerbible.com/news/general/archive/2009/11/30/nike-red-lace-up-save-lives-30-11-09.aspx
http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2009/12/01/bonos-new-red-collaboration-with-nike/
Where there is sport, there is hope. But hope is not enough to curb the devastation of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Action is required. It is preventable and treatable. And we have an opportunity to help.
And so on the eve of World AIDS Day November 30th, Nike and (RED) have announced a partnership to Lace Up to Save Lives. Together we are leveraging the power of sport to fight HIV/AIDS.
The idea is simple – educate and medicate. It’s critical for people to know the facts behind exposure to the virus and how to prevent it. For those who already have the virus, the difference between life and death is $1 a day. That’s what it costs to provide the medication that turns AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition.
To raise money for the cause, we’re selling RED shoelaces for $4. One hundred percent of the profits from RED laces will be split equally between The Global Fund which provides medicine for those living with HIV, and football(soccer)-based community initiatives that deliver education around HIV/AIDS prevention.
Nike has already been investing in HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Africa and globally for several years. We support community outreach programs and the Nike Foundation invests in HIV/AIDS and other activity that specifically address the needs of adolescent girls. We’re also heavily involved with initiatives like Grassroot Soccer, a community program in Africa that uses the power of sport to engage young people in football-based programs to deliver knowledge, skill and support to live HIV free.
Football(soccer) will clearly play a big part in Lace Up to Save Lives. It has the ability to unite people all over the world, and we’re leveraging it as we move toward the World Cup in South Africa next summer. Our product and marketing teams are developing very ambitious and compelling ways to energize Lace Up to Save Lives – in stores, online, and in communities.
Founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver in 2006, (RED) is a simple, ingenious and effective way to improve the human condition in Africa. Through Converse, Nike has been a part of (RED) from the start. Lace Up to Save Lives expands our commitment. Our work with the Nike Foundation will continue to focus on poverty alleviation across the continent by investing in adolescent girls as a powerful source for economic and social change.
I encourage all of you to learn more about (RED) and to Lace Up to Save Lives by visiting www.nikefootball.com. This is a terrific example of Nike at its best – coming together as a team and working with others to help people reach their true potential.
