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Red Nose Day Charity Partners including Gavi representatives and the Gates Foundation pose with red noses to call attention to Red Nose Day USA on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
Washington, DC, 25 May 2016 – Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day is back for its second year in the United States with popular comedians as well as television and movie stars sporting toy red noses for charity. The show will air on NBC, May 26 from 9-11 p.m. ET. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is among Red Nose Day’s 11 charity partners this year.
In addition to highlighting the importance of global immunisation, Red Nose Day USA raises money for programmes that address the immediate needs of children and young people living in poverty in the U.S. and around the globe – including for the purchase of life-saving vaccines through Gavi.
Comedian Craig Ferguson will host the program with celebrity favorites Ellen DeGeneres, Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Tracy Morgan, Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, and many others. As the broadcast draws near, excitement has been building through advertisements, news interviews and social media. Millions of people are participating in the fun by purchasing toy red noses and other fun flair to support Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day Fund and sharing their photos on social media for a good cause.
Red Nose Day is sponsored by Comic Relief, which has been a strong Gavi partner since 2012. To date, Comic Relief has raised nearly US$ 23 million for Gavi –matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation- and significantly increased visibility in the U.K. for global immunisation. Overall, Comic Relief has raised more than US$1 billion for its charity partners. During its inaugural broadcast in 2015, Red Nose Day raised $23 million to support the work of the charity partners’ work domestically and abroad to end child poverty.
Rick Scott and Janet Scardino, Comic Relief Inc., Tom Walsh, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Natasha Bilimoria, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
“After an incredible Red Nose Day in 2015 we’re looking forward to an even bigger success this year,” said Janet Scardino, CEO of Comic Relief Inc. “The country is turning red today with countless Red Nose Day activities, and overwhelming social media engagement is highlighting the issues of children living in poverty. With the incredible support of our brand, broadcast and non-profit partners, countless celebrities and the generous American public we're going to help ensure even more kids in need are safe, healthy and educated.”
To encourage support for Red Nose Day USA, Gavi and the 10 other domestic and international Red Nose Day USA charity partners – including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, National Council of La Raza, Covenant House, Children’s Health Fund, Feeding America, National Urban League, charity:water; the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Oxfam; and Save the Children, hosted a reception on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, 18 May.
“We’re enormously grateful to our friends at Comic Relief for bringing Red Nose Day to the U.S. and helping Gavi build upon the remarkable support we have long received from the US government,” said Natasha Bilimoria, Gavi’s Director of US strategy. “Red Nose Day allows us to reinforce the strong commitment Americans have for global immunization programs.”
“The first Red Nose Day USA in 2015 was an unqualified success,” said Rick Scott, Vice-President of Charity & Philanthropy for Red Nose Day. “We’re confident that in 2016 we will raise even more funds to help children in the United States and around the world live healthier lives.”