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Rita Ora launches COVID-19 merch to help fund WHO pandemic response
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 20 March 2020
Rita Ora has teamed up with Bob Geldof and the UN Foundation to launch an actual fully-fledged, well, logo, to remind everyone to stop spreading that COVID-19 thing all over the bloody place. Though it also promotes the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, which is supporting the World Health Organisation’s response to the pandemic. So it’s another celebrity response to the virus that we can’t quite decide whether it’s OK to mock.
“COVID-19 is impacting the world in a way none of us could have imagined”, says Ora in a statement. “Over the last few months we have watched this virus spread throughout the world not quite understanding its impact. I think by now we all understand that this is something that is having and will continue to have devastating effects on everyone … We all have a part to play in helping to stop the spread”.
Wondering what she could personally do to help in the fight against the coronavirus, Ora goes on to say that she “reached out to Sir Bob Geldof for advice on how best to make any kind of difference”. Since then, they have been “discussing ways of mobilising and uniting the younger generation with clear effective messaging”.
“His first idea was to design an emblem to remind us all that we have a battle to fight together”, she says. “After working on this symbol, I sent it to the UN Foundation, who helped set up the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organisation”.
“I started discussing with them how we could work together”, she concludes, “to encourage people to unite to combat as much as we can the spread of this virus. There are simple things we can all do to make a difference”.
Those simple things – as the WHO puts it – are as follows:
Keep your hands clean and don’t touch your face.
Keep your distance. (Yes, this means stay out of the pubs, bars and clubs).
Keep in touch with your neighbours, and be kind.
Keep an eye on the signs and call the doctor and follow their advice.
And, if you can do more, donate to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
You can find further information on that fund here. You can also buy merch with Rita and Bob’s pandemic logo on it here, which will result in some of your money going into the response fund.
Other artists are also getting involved in trying to stop people spreading the virus. Among them are Avenged Sevenfold, who are running a competition to give free merch to fans who can prove that they have isolated themselves for seven straight days. And also that – while doing so – they have done nothing else but refresh the band’s Instagram profile.
“We are developing a ‘check-in’ webpage where you will upload a selfie at home when prompted by us via our IG story at a random time”, the band explain. “Whoever successfully uploads a selfie with the phrase of the day written on a piece of paper within 30 minutes of that post, seven days in a row, will receive a free t-shirt, hoodie or accessory from [the band’s merch store]. We have a chance to ‘flatten the curve’ and save countless lives. We are all in this together”.
Anyone who works out what they’re supposed to be doing to meet the band’s requirements, and then actually manages to do it, probably also deserves to get the vaccine first. Oh look, we decided it was OK to mock that one.
