The Lego Group and the Lego Foundation Support Children and Families Impacted by Covid-19

Given the unprecedented times that coronavirus is causing around the world, the LEGO Foundation is donating $50 million to support children most in need.

The mission of the LEGO Foundation is to ensure no child goes without play and educational opportunities. Given the impact that coronavirus is having around the world, the charity has donated $50 million to ensure that children in the most need will continue to have access to learning through play.

Three groups of partners will receive the donation, according to the official statement:

• Education Cannot Wait, which provides education for children caught in emergencies and protracted crises.
• A selection of existing LEGO Foundation partners whose work with children and families is under additional pressure from COVID-19.
• Charity partners serving communities where the LEGO Group has a significant presence. Our aim is to urgently reach crisis-affected children with essential supplies and provide support to continue learning through play.

“We cannot let COVID-19 setback a generation of children. Research shows that while learning through play is vital for children’s psychological, emotional and cognitive health and development, it also hones the resilience they need to overcome adversity and build their futures. We must support all children, including the most vulnerable in society, to ensure they continue to have access to education and develop skills critical for them to thrive in a constantly changing world,” says John Goodwin, CEO, the LEGO Foundation. “We are honored to be able to collaborate and support Education Cannot Wait and our other partners who are working extremely hard in unforgiving circumstances to bring education, hope and a future to the most vulnerable children.”

“We are grateful that the LEGO Foundation has stepped forward as the first private sector partner to contribute to our COVID-19 response,” says Yasmine Sherif, Education Cannot Wait Director. “This generous donation will allow Education Cannot Wait to scale up its support of a coordinated response among governments, UN agencies and civil society organizations to bring a glimmer of hope to children of all ages in the most crisis-affected countries in the world. Learning must continue in the midst of the pandemic. The LEGO Foundation’s commitment to learning through play is a shining example of what’s possible and we encourage more philanthropic, private sector and government donor partners to come forward.”

View originals on Lego Foundation and Brickfanatics websites.