Earthquake in Asia: Orange customers donate to UNICEF projects by SMS - Over CHF 500,000 for South East Asia
Lausanne (ots)
Following the tidalwave in December, Orange launched an SMS fundraising campaign in conjunction with its long-standing partner, UNICEF, which has raised CHF 433,765 for children in South East Asia. At the same time, Orange employees raised money through an internal collection, which Orange doubled to total over CHF 100,000.
Children are always particularly affected by disasters such as December's devastating tidal wave in South East Asia and Somalia. For this reason, Orange has become an active long-standing partner of UNICEF and has been supporting projects that benefit children in South East Asia. It has done this in two ways. Firstly through SMS donations from Orange customers, secondly through money raised internally by employees which was doubled by the company.
Orange customers who sent an SMS to the number 864233 (which corresponds to the word UNICEF on the mobile phone keypad) automatically donated CHF 5. Those who wanted to donate more simply sent more SMS. One month after the disaster, 86,753 SMS were received, corresponding to a donation of CHF 433,765.
Orange customers were informed of this special fundraising campaign in which an appeal for donations via SMS and the media was made. The sending of the SMS messages was free of charge for the Orange customers. Orange took over the cost for the technical and administrative handling of this fundraising campaign, enabling 100% of the funds raised to go to UNICEF.
As early as mid February, UNICEF International will put forward a number of potential projects which are to be financed with the monies raised by Orange. The priority is a special Orange rebuilding project focusing on education, which will benefit children in the affected regions. Throughout the course of its partnership with UNICEF, Orange has already supported education projects in India, Guatemala, Iraq and Vietnam. The latter was also financed by a successful SMS fundraising campaign.
Orange employees were also very generous in their donations for the tsunami victims. An internal fundraiser made over CHF 50,000. Orange doubled this sum and as a result over CHF 100,000 was raised in addition to the SMS donations. In addition, Orange did not charge their customers in the affected regions for their incoming and outgoing calls as of 26 December during a 10-days period. PrePay customers who were in the affected regions have been credited with the amount of CHF 50.- so that they could make calls free of charge.
Kontakt:
Orange Communications SA
Therese Wenger, Director Media & PR
World Trade Center
Av. de Gratta-Paille 2
Case postale 455
1000 Lausanne 30 Grey
Tel +41/21/216'10'16
Fax +41/21/216'10'15
E-mail: therese.wenger@orange.ch
Internet: www.orange.ch