Coles Group will support efforts to provide emergency relief to India and nearby countries struggling to contain a second wave of Covid-19 across the South Asia region, as part of UNICEF Australia’s Covid-19 Crisis Appeal.
As a partner of the AFL, Coles will donate $100 for every point scored, or $600 for every goal, during Round Nine of the AFL (Friday 14 to Sunday 16 May).
Coles Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Ronson says the retailer is committed to providing assistance at this critical time.
“The scenes we have all witnessed from India and increasingly across the South Asia region have reminded us all how devastating this pandemic can be,” she says.
“At Coles, we are passionate about supporting the community and our team.
“Coles is a proudly diverse company, and this includes many thousands of team members of Indian heritage. We know that many of our team members have family in India and this will be a particularly distressing time.
“We are proud to be providing support through our partnership with the AFL, so we can give all the fans an extra reason to cheer for every point scored during Round Nine.”
UNICEF Australia CEO Tony Stuart says he is encouraged and grateful to see a leader such as Coles coming to the aid of the most vulnerable people in our region.
“From the early days of this pandemic, supermarkets have shown great capacity to prioritise the health and needs of their communities, customers and staff, so it is only natural that Coles would now step up and show that same leadership and creativity in supporting communities in this time of crisis,” he says.
“We know this pandemic has the most devastating impacts on the most vulnerable and we are proud to accept Coles assistance to provide vital equipment that will help save lives.”