Sony Announces New $100m COVID-19 Relief Fund

Sony Corporation has launched a new initiative which is aimed to support those that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The company stated that they aim to support the relief effort in three key areas: assisting frontline medical and first responder efforts, supporting children & educators and assisting the members of the creative community.

$10 million of the fund will go to medical organizations around the world.

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Credit: Sony

The new scheme was announced in a press release by Sony where the company stated:

“Through this fund, Sony will provide support in three areas: assistance for those individuals engaged in frontline medical and first responder efforts to fight the virus, support for children and educators who must now work remotely, and support for members of the creative community in the entertainment industry, which has been greatly impacted by the spread of the virus.”

“In terms of medical support, 10 million U.S. dollars of the fund will be devoted first to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO powered by the UN Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, as well as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to assist medical workers and others on the frontline of response efforts to the virus. Sony will also work with its external partners to explore ways that it can support activities that prevent the further spread and contribute to treatment of the COVID-19 virus.”

Sony is also looking at ways they can incorporate their technology to assist those who have been hit with the loss of their educational opportunities. Schools and educational institutions closures have made people’s reliance on technology for education all the more crucial.

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Credit: Sony

Kenichiro Yoshida, President, and CEO, Sony Corporation, said:

“Sony extends its condolences to the families of those who have passed away as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, and extends its sympathies to all those who have been impacted. In order to overcome the unprecedented challenges that as a society we now face around the world, we will do all we can as a global company to support the individuals on the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19, the children who are our future, and those who have been impacted in the creative community.”

Nintendo recently chose to donate almost 10,000 respirator masks to healthcare workers in Washington and CD Projekt Red has donated $1 million to help fight the virus’s spread in Poland.

Sony is looking at options in the future to work together with its partners and stakeholders to discover new ways to further extend these initiatives. The worldwide entertainment industry is certainly playing its part in the battle against COVID-19.

[Featured Image Credit: Sony]