As part of its Apps for (RED) AIDS initiative, Fall Out Boy singer-songwriter Patrick Stump will make a special musical appearance at Apple’s SoHo brick-and-mortar retail store in New York City later today. Kicking off at 8pm Eastern, the December 4 performance is part of what Apple has called its “biggest fundraising push yet” to battle HIV.
Stump won’t just be playing, however. In addition, he’ll talk about Apple’s GarageBand app, and how he uses it as part of his creative process.
This isn’t the only thing Apple has done to mark World AIDS Day and (RED) this year.
On December 1, Apple Stores around the world changed the color of their logo to mark Apple’s commitment to raising awareness of the disease. Apple also donated a percentage of its sales to helping fight HIV/AIDS, while Tim Cook made a surprise appearance at the Georgetown Apple Store to demonstrate his support.
Apple has additionally opened a new area of the iOS App Store called Apps for (RED), featuring 25 apps with exclusive content from some of the world’s most popular app-makers, including ustwo, Rovio and Supercell. GarageBand added a $0.99 loop pack as part of the offer. All proceeds from selling the apps go directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS. This section of the App Store runs through Sunday December 7.
Since 2006, Apple has partnered with Bono’s Project (RED) initiative to raise more than $75 million for the charity through selling (RED) branded products such as iPods.
In the past the company has also donated one-of-a-kind products, co-created by Jony Ive and BFF Mark Newson, for charity auctions. These have included a Product (RED) Mac Pro which sold for $977,000, a pair of Rose Gold Apple EarPods which sold for $461,000, a custom Leica Digital Camera which sold for $1,805,000, and The (RED) Desk which sold for $1,685,000.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
