MAC Cosmetics is joining the fight against coronavirus. The make-up brand announced yesterday that it is donating $10 million to 250 organisations around the world to support vulnerable communities affected by COVID-19.
The money comes via MAC’s Viva Glam Fund, the philanthropic arm of the company set up in 1994 by founders Frank Angelo and Frank Toskan to help those affected by AIDS. In the 26 years since, VIVA GLAM has raised over $500 million to support vulnerable communities all through the sales of the VIVA GLAM lipsticks of which 100 per cent of the proceeds go to the campaign.
“The original concept of what Viva Glam was all about was using community to raise money for people affected by health crises who were least able to defend and or care for themselves,” John Demsey, Esteé Lauder Cos. Inc. executive group president, told WWD. “The devastation of what is unleashing itself on the world right now with the COVID-19 virus is unprecedented. We believe that this is once again a rallying call for MAC Cosmetics and Viva Glam to lend money and support populations at risk from this infectious disease.”
MAC is not the only company to have donated to the coronavirus effort. Estée Lauder Companies made a $2 million donation to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières to support the organisation’s work in countries highly impacted by the crisis. Many companies have also been pivoting to manufacturing hand sanitiser including LVMH, L'Oréal Group, Coty Inc, Estée Lauder Companies, and many other smaller independent brands.
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