Pharmaceutical company Mylan and the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) are going the distance (7,750 kilometres to be precise) to fight against AIDS.
The two organizations have teamed up to create the Mylan Relay for Hope. The relay, which aims to raise funds and awareness for people living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS, begins in April 2015 in St. John’s, NL, and ends in October 2015 in Hope, B.C.
Mylan, which has offices worldwide, provides 50 antiretroviral (ARV) medications for patients with HIV/AIDS.
In Canada, Mylan is aligning itself with the company’s global CSR platform, said Daniel Torchia, managing director of Torchia Communications, which is handling public relations. “The company has worked for many years supporting AIDS and HIV [organizations] around the world. Now Canada is supporting the global cause in a very creative and meaningful way.”
The relay team will consist of 36 runners divided into teams of three, and each will run a set distance in their province. The runners will carry panels of the Canadian AIDS Memorial Quilt, a grassroots project started in the 1980s as part of “The Names Project” to honour those who have died from AIDS.
Mylan and CAS have launched a digital resource, RelayForHope.ca, to raise funds and educate people about the cause. Donations will fund programs organized by CAS and its charitable partners across Canada, as well as underserved global regions.
Mylan and CAS have begun a search for runners to represent each of the provinces in the relay. The organizers are also inviting Canadians to join the relay, with application details coming soon to the Relay for Hope website.
On the PR front, Torchia Communications will focus on local media relations, stakeholder relations and photo opportunities throughout the relay. The initiative was launched on World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) at the CAS World AIDS Day Gala in Ottawa.
