Sony has announced a charitable endeavor designed to help make a difference across multiple fields as the COVID-19 pandemic alters peoples’ lives. A $100 million Sony Global Relief Fund for COVID-19 has been launched to help the medical professionals and first responders facing the pandemic head-on, the teachers and students who find their daily school lives altered as a result of social distancing and the virus, and the game developers, movie staff, and musicians who have seen their projects halted or ended. This endeavor will also see the company matching its employees donations, though the limits and scope for it haven’t been announced.
In the press released announcing the Global Relief Fund for COVID-19, only the first $10 million donation was earmarked. Four charitable organizations will be receiving a portion of the money to help doctors, nurses, and others who are directly hoping to help those afflicted. The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO, Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will all receive aid.
The details on how this fund will help game developers, other creative individuals, and educational professionals and students haven’t been revealed yet. However, the goal will be to help bring in technology to help students learn and teachers teach. As for people in creative fields, the goal is to offer them support now that events have been canceled, productions have been shut down, and development has halted.
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Sony has been quick to respond. For example, one of its first acts was to cancel its PAX East 2020 plans over concerns about its staff members’ safety. It was also among the first to cancel its GDC 2020 presence, opting to offer a look at the PlayStation 5 in a video instead. It also apparently has staff working from home through April 30, 2020. However, it had said the pandemic won’t have an effect on the PlayStation 5 plans.
