Dec. 1 Marks World AIDS Day; (PRODUCT) RED Hits $50 Million Contribution Milestone

Yesterday, just one day before marking World AIDS Day 2007, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced that contributions from (PRODUCT) RED partners -- including GoodBiz113 ad partners American Express, Apple and Motorola -- have reached over $50 million.

This cumulative total, achieved since (RED) was launched in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver, outstrips, by far, all previous private-sector contributions to the Global Fund, and creates a new benchmark for engaging business in the global fight against AIDS in Africa.

(PRODUCT) RED has become one of the largest consumer-based income-generating initiatives by the private sector for an international humanitarian cause. As the Fund looks to existing and new donors to help raise $6 billion to $8 billion annually to finance programs globally to fight AIDS, TB and malaria, (PRODUCT) RED has become a significant and promising new source of funds.

"(PRODUCT) RED has brought about a major change in the way the private sector contributes to global causes," said Dr. Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. "We applaud Bono and Bobby Shriver for their vision in establishing the campaign, and thank (RED), its partners and the consumers who've chosen (RED) for their leadership. The contributions of (PRODUCT) RED partners have already enabled hundreds of thousands of people to benefit from AIDS treatment, prevention and care."

(RED) was created to deliver a sustainable flow of private-sector funds to the Global Fund, and to raise public awareness about the AIDS emergency in Africa. (RED) partners are Gap, Hallmark, Apple, Motorola, Emporio Armani, American Express and Converse.

The partner contributions from the sale of (PRODUCT) RED products are sent directly to the Global Fund to invest in HIV/AIDS programs in Africa. No overhead is taken out of the (RED) money, which means there is 100% throughput to the identified Global Fund grants.

(RED) funds are already at work as part of Global Fund grants in Rwanda, Swaziland and Ghana, funding programs with a primary focus on the health of women and children. (RED) funds will continue to be disbursed to these grants as soon as the next scheduled disbursement requests are received and approved by the Global Fund.

Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has become the dominant, multilateral financer of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, providing well over 20 percent of all international finance against AIDS, and two-thirds of global financing for TB and malaria.

So far, programs supported by the Global Fund have averted 2 million deaths through providing AIDS treatment for 1.1 million people, tuberculosis treatment for 2.8 million people, and through the distribution of 30 million insecticide-treated bed nets for the prevention of malaria worldwide.

About the Global Fund
The Global Fund is a unique global public/private partnership dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector, and affected communities represents a new approach to international health financing.

The Global Fund works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing efforts dealing with the three diseases.

About (RED)™ and (PRODUCT) RED
(RED)'s primary objective is to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global Fund, to help fight AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT) RED mark contribute a significant percentage of the sales or portion of the profits from that product to the Global Fund to finance AIDS programs in Africa, with an emphasis on the health of women and children.

Current partners are: American Express [U.K. only], Apple, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Motorola and Hallmark. MySpace.com is the first media sponsor in the United Kingdom, and MTV Networks is the first media sponsor in the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.joinred.com/.

Also, for World AIDS Day, The Killers turned their new Christmas single, "Don't Shoot Me Santa", (RED) -- with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the Global Fund, for investment in African AIDS programs. On Tuesday, Dec. 4, the single package -- including audio track and video -- arrives in stores. Click here to order from Amazon.com.

SOURCES: Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, (PRODUCT) RED
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(PRODUCT) RED: iPod nano and iPod shuffle. Apple Store exclusive. Get free engraving and free shipping.

(RED) VISION Seeks Short-Film Entries for 2008 Vail Film Festival; New Toolkit Available

This just in from (PRODUCT) RED, with whom GoodBiz113 ad partners American Express and Apple have teamed to help fight AIDS in Africa: The (RED) VISION short film category for the Fifth Annual 2008 Vail Film Festival is now open for submissions!

For those of you seeking a fun summer project, you're in luck. (PRODUCT) RED is looking for short films that represent one of these two (RED) themes: "We are the people we've been waiting for," and "Be a good-looking Samaritan."

The accepted (RED) VISION film will debut at the 2008 Vail Film Festival held in Vail, Colo., which promotes independent filmmaking during a week of screenings, workshops, seminars, panel discussions, parties and live music.

With your creativity and artistry, (PRODUCT) RED can raise awareness about (RED) and the fight against AIDS in Africa. So pick up your camera and start shooting!

For submission guidelines, go to JOINRED.COM/VAIL. Find out more about the Vail Film Festival at vailfilmfestival.org.

SPREAD (RED)!
(PRODUCT) RED recently updated its website with the (RED) Community Toolkit, which you can find at JOINRED.COM/TOOLKIT.

The toolkit comes with an instruction sheet to help you figure out the best way you can promote (RED) amongst your friends and family. Plus, you can choose from posters [see sample above], fliers, stickers, buttons, name tags, Web banners, and desktop wallpapers. A fact sheet and FAQ are also available, so you can effectively answer questions about (RED).

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Support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS in Africa... Get your iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition today! Starting at $199.

"Tracks In The Sand," a (RED) Album for Africa, by Africa, Now Available on iTunes

We've introduced you to (PRODUCT) RED, the exemplary partnering initiative co-founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver to raise monies for the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. [See November 2006 post, "Dec. 1 Marks World AIDS Day; (PRODUCT) RED Companies Continue the Global Fight Against AIDS."]. Now, we're pleased to inform you that GoodBiz113 ad partner iTunes is making "Tracks In The Sand," a compilation album presented by Vanity Fair and (RED), available for purchase in the U.S.

Inspired by Tom Freston's article, "Showtime In the Sahara," in this month's Bono-edited Africa issue of Vanity Fair, about traveling to an African music festival in Timbuktu, (RED) asked singer, bandleader, producer and philanthropist Youssou N'Dour, 47, a Senegal native, to curate "Tracks In The Sand." This iTunes compilation features 17 of the best recordings by West African artists -- including Salif Keita, Ali Farka Touré, Baaba Maal, and Oumou Sangare.

100% of the sales price of the "Tracks In The Sand" album will be contributed to the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

Buy "Tracks In The Sand" on iTunes now, and find out how your purchase can impact the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa through the (RED) Impact Calculator!
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4GB and 8GB iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition. Support the Global Fund to Fight HIV and AIDS in Africa.

New (RED) Impact Calculator Helps Tie Value of Purchases to AIDS Treatment in Africa

As GoodBiz113 reported last Oct. 15 and Nov. 30, the (PRODUCT) RED campaign to raise funds for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has made significant strides since its Fall 2006 rollout.

Together, (PRODUCT) RED founder and CEO Bobby Shriver, U2 lead singer Bono and their associates have signed top names -- e.g., American Express UK, Apple, Converse, Emporio Armani, Gap, Motorola -- to create (PRODUCT) RED-specific goods, from which a certain percentage of the profits go to the Global Fund.

According to preliminary tracking numbers, total (PRODUCT) RED sales in the U.S. during the first six weeks raised enough money to:
* Provide more than 40,000 men or women with anti-retroviral treatment for a year;
OR
* Provide more than 2 million peer educators with HIV training;
OR
* Provide a year’s worth of school materials and daily hot meals for more than 86,000 children orphaned by AIDS;
OR
* Provide more than 1 million Rapid Tests, which detect HIV and deliver instant test results.

(PRODUCT) RED Impact Calculator Among Latest Innovations
Now, with the latest (PRODUCT) RED innovation -- the new (RED) Impact Calculator -- socially conscious consumers can find out the ways in which their (RED) purchases could affect people's lives in Africa.

For instance, let's say you bought an Apple iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition, two Gap (PRODUCT) RED T-shirts, two Gap (PRODUCT) RED Leather Bracelets, plus a Motorola (PRODUCT) RED MOTORAZR V3m Phone. Total profits would:
* Provide treatment for 200 pregnant women to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child;
AND
* Provide anti-retroviral [ARV] treatment for two months to a person living with HIV.

The number of (PRODUCT) RED goods you've purchased can be input into the calculator and saved in your own (RED) profile, where you can login to update it anytime at: http://www.joinred.com/news/45/track.asp?sel=3.

You can also tell your friends and family about your (RED) Impact via customizable greeting cards that you can print and send. Check out (RED) Impact Cards today.

For more information about (PRODUCT) RED, go to: http://www.joinred.com.
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iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition. 4GB and 8GB Models Available for $199 an $249.

Apple Announces iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition; Portion of Proceeds Contributed to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS in Africa

Editor's note: As promised since our humble beginnings, GoodBiz113 is primarily about showcasing small businesses. On occasion, we're going to shamelessly feature small-biz champions and socially responsible GoodBiz113 Mall merchant partners...

Apple® just announced the iPod® nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition. (RED) was created by U2 lead singer Bono and Bobby Shriver to engage business in the fight against AIDS in Africa by getting the world’s most iconic companies to make uniquely branded products. A portion of the profits from these products goes directly to the Global Fund to fund programs for women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.

The iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED comes in a beautiful red aluminum enclosure and features 24 hours of battery life; Apple’s innovative Click Wheel; and an incredibly thin and light design. Apple will contribute $10 from the sale of each iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED to the Global Fund to help fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. Apple will also offer a $25 iTunes® (PRODUCT) RED gift card, available for purchase at Apple’s retail and online stores next month.

“We’re ecstatic that Apple is giving their customers the choice to buy a red iPod nano, and help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa,” said Bono, co-founder of (RED). “It's wonderful to see this incredible level of commitment from companies that are willing to lend their creativity in the fight against AIDS in Africa -- the greatest health crisis in 600 years.” Other (PRODUCT) RED partners include American Express, Converse, Emporio Armani, Gap and Motorola.

“Now, customers can buy the best music player in the world and do something to help the world at the same time,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re honored to work with Bono, (RED) and this team to contribute to an incredibly important initiative and help change the way people think about AIDS in Africa.”

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was established in 2002, with the support of the world’s leaders and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, to dramatically increase resources to fight three of the world’s most devastating diseases, and to direct those resources to areas of greatest need by supporting locally-driven strategies. To date, the Global Fund has committed $5.2 billion [US] to more than 363 programs in 131 countries. For more information about (RED), please visit http://www.joinred.com/.

Pricing & Availability
The iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition is available worldwide in a 4GB model for $199 [US] through Apple’s retail stores and the Apple Store® [www.apple.com]. All iPod nano models include redesigned earbud headphones providing superior comfort, fit and sound quality, and a USB 2.0 cable. The second-generation iPod nano features up to 24 hours of battery life and completely skip-free playback. The iTunes (PRODUCT) RED gift card will be available through Apple’s retail stores and the Apple Store [www.apple.com] next month for $25 [US].

iPod nano requires a Mac® with a USB 2.0 port and Mac OS® X version 10.3.9 or later and iTunes 7.0 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000 [Service Pack 4], Windows XP Home or Professional [Service Pack 2] and iTunes 7.0 or later. Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended.

Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. Music capacity is based on four minutes per song and 128-Kbps AAC encoding; actual capacity varies by content. Photo capacity is based on iPod-viewable photos transferred from iTunes.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store.
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4GB iPod nano RED Special Edition. Just $199, only at the Apple Store.