In a bid to support the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 response efforts, Lady Gaga has helped raise $35 million in one week after reaching out to corporate leaders and philanthropists.
According to the pop star, the money will go toward global personal protection equipment (PPE) supplies and testing kits as well as improving lab capacity to process the tests. Gaga also announced that she is partnering with the WHO and advocacy organization Global Citizen to launch a virtual festival called “One World Together at Home” aimed at uniting the world through music in the fight against the pandemic.
The televised concert will air at 8 pm EST on April 18th and will feature dozens of stars including Paul McCartney, Elton John, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, and Stevie Wonder. Gaga and her collaborators hope the concert will bring attention to all the positive initiatives occurring in the world right now too. The event is not considered a fundraiser, but rather a celebration of “the power of the human” that the pandemic has brought to light.