Natasha Bilimoria, Director of U.S. Strategy for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
This Thursday, May 21st, is a special day when you and your friends can not only have some fun but do something really great by supporting immunization and Gavi. That’s when NBC will broadcast Red Nose Day USA, and I’m not going to miss a minute of it. Here’s why….
Fun
The show – from 8 pm–11 pm EST– will include stand-up performances, sketch comedy, parodies and music performances, and it will feature stars like Will Ferrell, John Legend, Reese Witherspoon, Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston.
John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks look great in their red noses.
Fundraising
Red Nose Day, sponsored by Gavi partner Comic Relief, is new to the United States, but it has been raising money in the U.K. for 30 years. The show has raised more than US$ 1 billion for organizations that address poverty, changing the lives of millions of children around the globe.
That’s also what will happen during Thursday’s NBC show, and Gavi is one of the 12 charity recipients. People across the U.S. are showing their support for Red Nose Day by buying toy red noses for $1 each at Walgreens: getting silly while helping change the lives of people in need. The biggest push will come on Thursday, during the live 3-hour telecast, when the American public will be asked to show their generosity and make a real difference in the lives of children here in the U.S. and around the globe.
Focus
In keeping with Gavi’s strong partnership with Comic Relief since 2012, immunization will be a key feature of the Red Nose Day USA telecast. The celebrity-filled BBC comedy shows have significantly increased awareness in the U.K about the importance of immunization in poor countries, helping raise US$ 21 million to support immunization through Gavi – an amount that has been matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Videos like this one with British comedian John Bishop from the 2015 U.K. show are sure to bring new and heightened visibility here in the United States to global immunization and Gavi.
So let’s put on our big red noses and gear up for a night of fun and fundraising on Thursday and help Gavi get one step closer to reaching every child with life-saving vaccines.
