Nike is pitching in funds to help stem the spread of the coronavirus.
The Beaverton, Ore.-based athletic giant has pledged over $15 million to fight the virus, including $10 million in contributions from Phil Knight, co-founder and chairman emeritus, Mark Parker, former CEO and current executive chairman of the board, and John Donahoe, the company’s new president and CEO.
The executives and their families are donating $1 million to the Oregon Food Bank, $2 million to the Oregon Community Recovery Fund and $7 million to Oregon Health & Science University.
The Nike Foundation, meanwhile, is contributing $1 million to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and $1.1 million to support community partners across Europe, Middle East and Africa through the King Baudouin Foundation. On its domestic turf, it will dole out $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, as well as $1 million to the Oregon Community Recovery Fund in its home state.
The company has made a commitment to match any donations made by Nike employees in the COVID-19 fight at a two-for-one level.
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The new batch of donations come in addition to $1.4 million that Nike donated to the China Youth Development Fund in January to help provide frontline workers with equipment and supplies needed to treat patients.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Nike has closed all stores in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Western Europe from Monday, March 16, through Friday, March 27. The company is fully compensating workers during this time and is keeping open units in many other countries, including Japan, South Korea and most of China.
Additionally, the athletic brand has asked employees at its Beaverton, Ore. headquarters to work remotely due to the coronavirus crisis. Nike said it has also taken extra safety and cleaning precautions, has implemented staggered work schedules and has encouraged social distancing.
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