LEGO as a company may have a range of products that cater to many age groups today. That doesn’t change the fact that children remain their original and primary focus. The LEGO Foundation charity arm does its part in helping meet the needs of disadvantaged children around the world. And they have been especially busy since 2020 in aiding global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As recently as this past June, LEGO Foundation has donated $23 million to improve access to education in pandemic-locked areas. Now they are announcing their biggest charitable contribution yet, for the sake of pandemic-affected children.
In response to the devastating impact of COVID-19, the LEGO Foundation is donating $150M USD to support children and communities across the world. pic.twitter.com/fRxYb7r3B1
— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) September 25, 2021
As Brick Fanatics reports, LEGO announced this past Sunday its pledge of $150 million for children and community support. The reason, as stated in their social media accounts this past Sunday, September 26, is obvious. Lifestyle changes wrought by the pandemic, in how children access education and parents earn a living, constitutes a crisis. Thus, their donation of $150 million will be divided between two major beneficiaries for supporting COVID-affected communities worldwide. $70 million of the pledge will go to UNICEF for vaccines and health supplies. The remaining $60 million will be distributed to LEGO’s partner charities to help accelerate COVID recovery with child cases.
LEGO Foundation CEO Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen described the ongoing pandemic as a transformative moment for the world’s educational systems. The sizable donation they have given to UNICEF and their partner charities are in hopes of finding creative solutions to challenges brought by COVID. She also called on world governments and the private sector to not let up on donations to COVID response. In her words, “No one is safe until we are all safe.” Albrectsen gave this speech during the Global Citizen Live event last weekend.