Over the past 13 years, Apple has contributed $220 million to help fight the spread of AIDS-related deaths in Africa. Tim Cook made the announcement on Twitter Sunday, marking World AIDS Day.
“AIDS-related deaths have fallen by more than half since 2004,” he wrote. “Together we can achieve an AIDS-free generation.”
Apple is ready to go red for World AIDS Day.
More than 400 Apple Stores around the world will sport red logos next week, while every Apple Pay transaction will result in a donation to the Global Fund. Apple will also promote apps and games that support (RED).
For the fifth year in a row, Apple Stores across the globe are showing their support for World AIDS Day today by turning their logos red.
The global event is used to raise awareness about the ongoing fight against AIDS and help fundraising efforts in the race to find a cure for the disease that has already killed 39 million people.
Apple’s World AIDS week campaign has earned a big donation for Bono’s Product RED charity this month. The holiday project RED promotions that ran during two of the busiest shopping days of the year – Black Friday until Cyber Monday – raised more than $20 million, according to an internal email obtained by Recode.
Tim Cook sent employees an email revealing that along with raising another $20 million, the iPhone maker has donated over $100 million for Product RED to fight AIDS in Africa.
Earlier this week, Bono blasted Apple for “modesty run amok” in regards to the company’s charity work.
Claiming that Apple was like a secretive cult, he said that Apple didn’t do enough to broadcast its work for the Global Fund as part of Product (RED). Apple has raised $75 million for the charity since 2006.
Bono’s tongue was obviously in cheek, but (RED) has now released a statement, clarifying that Bono was expressing “faux outrage” and he was just making a joke.
Bono is a tireless promoter of his global AIDs and HIV nonprofit, (RED), but according to the U2 frontman (and, more ignobly, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark composer), Apple’s dropping the ball when it comes to charity: not in regards to giving enough money to charity, but in regards to promoting how much charitable work it does as a company.
Apple has been a long time supporter of Project RED by selling special edition products that help the charity, but now you can help fight AIDS just by swiping credit cards on your iPhone.
Project RED announced today that it teamed up with Square to launch the new SQUA(RED) Reader. The red credit card reader costs $10, 97.25% of which goes straight to the Global Fund to fight AIDS.
We are marking #World AIDS Day by turning Apple’s logo red. Together we can achieve an AIDS free generation. pic.twitter.com/3kdx9UZr9f
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) December 1, 2013
December 1st is World AIDS Day, a movement that raises awareness for the fight against HIV. Apple is honoring the cause by tinting Apple store logos around the world red.
“We are marking #World AIDS Day by turning Apple’s logo red,” tweeted Apple CEO Tim Cook. “Together we can achieve an AIDS free generation.”
U2 frontman and AIDS activist, Bono was on hand at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting where he announced that his Product (RED) partner Apple has raised over $65 million for the charity organization.
Bono at #CGI2013 on @RED partners: "Apple is certainly leading the crew" Thank you Apple for raising over $65 million to fight AIDS.
— (RED) (@RED) September 26, 2013
Sir Jony Ive and famed designer Marc Newson have teamed up with Bono to a mega-auction of fancy master-pieces of design that will be sold to benefit (RED). Among the list of items up for grabs is a custom pair of Apple EarPods made of solid rose gold.
Jony and Marc actually did all the curation of the collection themselves over the past year, as well as collaborating on two custom made items – a Leica Digital Rangefinder Camera, and an aluminum desk produced by Neal Feay Studios. A total of 40 items will be auctioned off, including pieces from space travel, lighting, contemporary art and rare automobiles.
Here’s what Jony had to say about his contribution:
