Health & Welfare News South Africa

"Share the sound of an AIDS-free generation" and support (RED)

This is The Coca-Cola Company's international call to join efforts in helping end mother-to-child transmission of HIV with the launch of a new campaign in partnership with (RED), titled exactly that: "Share the sound of an AIDS-free generation".
"Share the sound of an AIDS-free generation" and support (RED)

The campaign will feature an array of top artists as they debut new music and offer exclusive experiences encouraging people to come together, to share, and most importantly, to give. Funds raised from the campaign will go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to finance projects which provide HIV prevention, testing, counselling, treatment, and care services.

The global programme, which runs through World AIDS Day on 1 December, shares a message of hope and unity to empower today's youth to understand they can be the generation to end the AIDS pandemic. 650 babies are born every day with HIV, yet life-saving medication exists and costs as little as R4,42 a day. That same medication can reduce the risk of an HIV-positive woman passing on the virus to her baby by 95%.

"Share the sound of an AIDS-free generation" and support (RED)

"One of the primary goals behind the movement of this campaign is to use the power of music to rally millennials in realising that an AIDS free generation is within reach," said Emmanuel Seuge, Vice President: Global Alliances & Ventures at The Coca-Cola Company. "We are grateful to all of the artists who are joining us in this remarkable effort."

Artists rallying behind this significant cause include the likes of Aloe Blacc, Wyclef Jean, Avicci, OneRepublic, as well as the debut of a previously unreleased track by Queen. The track entitled, "Let Me in Your Heart Again," features the iconic vocals of the late Freddie Mercury, who passed away from AIDS in 1991 and has been exclusively mixed for this campaign by William Orbit.

Throughout the campaign these artists will unveil an original song that will be available to download on iTunes with all proceeds benefitting the Global Fund.

"It's been 23 years since the world lost our beloved Freddie Mercury," said Queen's guitarist Brian May. "We've made extraordinary progress in the fight against AIDS in that time. But we cannot simply rest on the fact that the treatment is available. We must ensure that it is provided. Roger and I are proud to lend this rediscovered song to the Coca-Cola (RED) campaign, in the hope that Freddie's powerful voice can inspire the world yet again."

OMAZEing fundraising experiences

Coca-Cola and (RED) have partnered with OMAZE, a fundraising platform that specialises in offering the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences that require fans to make a donation to secure a chance of winning. By visiting www.Omaze.com/CokeRED, fans can enter to win incredible experiences, including:

  • Go backstage with Bono and win his guitar: Get flown to a U2 show where Bono will give you his custom (RED) Gretsch guitar and sign it for you backstage. (Omaze.com/Bono)

  • The ultimate EDM year of your life: Avicii has designed his own special experience for a fan to win tickets to three of the biggest music festivals in the world and ultimately join Avicii on-stage in Las Vegas next year. (Omaze.com/Avicii)

  • On-stage with Queen + Adam Lambert: Queen and Adam Lambert are inviting two fans to sit on-stage for their concert at the O2 Arena London. They will also be given a VIP tour of Queen's legendary recording studio in Montreux, Switzerland. (Omaze.com/Queen)

  • Live like OneRepublic for a day: OneRepublic has also created a fundraising experience where a lucky fan can spend the day with the band and enjoy VIP access to a show. (Omaze.com/OneRepublic)

The Coca-Cola Company is dedicated to the fight to end HIV/AIDS. Since 2006, The Coca-Cola Company and its foundations have committed over $15 million in the fight to end AIDS through awareness, education and prevention. In 2011, The Coca-Cola Company initially pledged $5 million to the Global Fund through the partnership with (RED) and has recently raised its commitment by an additional $2 million-donation directly to the Global Fund. This year, Coca-Cola will leverage the size and scale of the system to rally for the cause, ultimately activating this campaign in over 40 countries worldwide.

"Incredible things have happened in the fight against AIDS, bringing the pandemic to a tipping point. There is much to celebrate, but we must also renew our vow to wrestle this virus to the point it becomes part of our history not our present, said Bono, (RED) co-founder. (RED) partners like Coca-Cola are on (RED) alert this World AIDS Day to keep the pressure up, with the help of longtime AIDS activists Queen, and musicians Avicii, Deadmau5, Wyclef Jean, Aloe Blacc and OneRepublic. Music fans have been a real army in the fight against AIDS, we hope this campaign will swell the ranks."

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