Band of Heroes: Nike Breaks Records With Multiple Initiatives To Support The Fight Against Covid-19 In Communities Around The World

It's a new week of #BandofHeroes, where we love to celebrate positive news from our partners in response to the on-going Coronavirus Pandemic. This week’s hero never fails to "Just Do it", inspiring us all to overcome all barriers and become the best version of ourselves, we are obviously talking about Nike. Read on to know more about the series of initiatives that Nike has come up with to help fight COVID-19.

Donating over 140,000 pieces of footwear, apparel and equipment to front-line workers across the world

Nike recognizes the physical and mental resilience of healthcare heroes who are fighting COVID-19 around the world. Determined to help, the company will team up with their longtime partner nonprofit Good360 in the U.S. and other local organizations across Europe to donate more 140,000 pieces of footwear, apparel and equipment globally. 

In addition, the brand has teamed up with Joshua Buatsi, Cristina Chirichella, Amandine Henry, Sabrina Ionescu, Anni Espar Llaquet, Ja Morant, Joc Pederson, Casey Short and Nafi Thiam to thank healthcare workers. Together, Nike and these athletes announced the donation of 30,000 pairs of Nike Air Zoom Pulse to health systems in Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis and New York City, and within the Veterans Health Administration. An additional 2,500 pairs are being donated to hospitals across Europe, including Barcelona, Berlin, London, Milan, Paris and in Belgium.

Read more here.

Transforming Nike Air into Personal Protective Equipment to support hospitals  

Nike quickly saw the high need of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that the medical system was experiencing, and quickly got to work to collaboratively find a response to help. The company brought an entire team of designers, innovators and engineers together, and started working closely with health professionals at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to create new PPE using Nike Air footwear materials and the company's manufacturing facilities. 

“Without proper facial protection, healthcare workers are at a higher risk of contracting the virus, which could place substantial strain on the healthcare workforce in the months ahead,” says Miko Enomoto, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine, OHSU School of Medicine. “The full-face shields help protect healthcare workers’ faces and also help to prolong the length we can safely use a surgical or N95 mask. Nike’s generous response to the COVID-19 crisis helps to instill an added layer of confidence and support for healthcare workers, that we can safely carry out the jobs we were born to do.”

To date, Nike’s teams have shipped approximately over 130,000 units of personal protective equipment to more than 20 hospitals across Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon and Tennessee. 

Read more here.

Committing more than $25M to serve communities in response of COVID-19

People and communities have always been the heart of Nike’s brand, since the pandemic has started Nike’s leaders, the Nike Foundation and Nike have committed more than $25 million towards COVID-19 relief efforts around the world. 

Nike leaders are personally donating a combined $10 million to a series of recovery funds including $1 million to the Oregon Food Bank, $2 million to the Oregon Community Recovery Fund, and $7 million to Oregon Health & Science University. In addition, the Nike Foundation announced multiple donations: a $1 million donation to the global COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, $1 million to the Oregon Community Recovery Fund, $1.1 million to the the King Baudouin Foundation to support community partners across Europe, Middle East and Africa, $250,000 to the Mid-South Food Bank in Memphis, $250,000 to the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis’ COVID-19 Regional Response Fund; and $500,000 to the Boston Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund.

It matters for Nike to help the communities where their employees work, so the sports giant will donate an additional $1.6 million to help local organizations meet urgent needs, such as food assistance and medical care, in multiple cities and communities around the world.

Read more here. 

These are only a few new initiatives that Nike is doing to respond to communities they serve during this time. To date, Nike has also given over $500,000 to local youth sports teams in North America through FlipGive.