Biking event and Facebook Live new for Walgreens' 2017 Red Nose campaign

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Noses on! Red Noses, the iconic symbol of the Red Nose Day cause to end child poverty, are on sale beginning Monday at all Walgreens and Duane Reade stores nationwide, kicking off the six-week charitable campaign. In its third consecutive year as the exclusive retailer of the campaign’s Red Noses, Walgreens is welcoming back Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day with comic cheer and a series of celebrations and fundraising events nationwide in support of Red Nose Day.



“Child poverty is a public health crisis that impacts us all, and Walgreens commitment with Red Nose Day is to create urgency and build a movement to help children around the world,” stated Alex Gourlay, Walgreens Boots Alliance co-COO. “Along with other campaign partners, we’re helping to create a unique and powerful opportunity for people and communities to come together to end child poverty. With more ‘Noses On’ opportunities and activities across the country for Walgreens customers and employees, we’re hoping to put some fun into building on the campaign’s success to hopefully exceed our fundraising goals.”



From now through June 3, customers can participate and show their support by purchasing a Red Nose for $1, with all profits from all sales benefitting Red Nose Day.



And for the first time, Walgreens will be hosting Ride On For Red Nose Day, two unique cycling experiences, created in conjunction with PeopleForBikes, to challenge bike riders across the U.S. to pedal for children in need.



The cycling fundraising initiative includes a fully supported, professional-grade road cycling experience with two routes. The first kicks off on the West Coast in Santa Barbara, Calif. on April 30, rolling into Las Vegas on May 3. The East Coast ride travels from Boston on May 21 arriving in New York City on May 24, just in time to celebrate Red Nose Day on May 25.



All donations raised during the Ride On activities will benefit the Red Nose Day Fund, and people across the country are encouraged to participate to show their support. To sign up for the challenge and for more information, visit: rideon4rednoseday.com.



To further heighten Red Nose Day awareness, beginning in mid-April, Walgreens employees in select stores across the country will take over Facebook Live with a variety of “Noses On” videos. More than 600 participating employees, also known as “Red Nose Captains,” will complete fun activities on live video, including dancing competitions, singing challenges that Walgreens customers can participate in with employees while wearing their Red Noses.



To help launch the initiative, Walgreens, in partnership with VIMBY, a content marketing studio, created a social experiment powered by a series of Red Nose Day videos. The first, “Orange Goes Red,” features a town where the Red Nose spirit is in full force. As newcomers enter the town, they learn how they can make a difference by wearing a Red Nose. The videos also tell various stories about how Red Nose Day benefits its charity partners and enables viewers to track the campaign’s progress.



Red Nose Day has raised more than $1 billion globally since its launch in the U.K. in 1988. For Walgreens Boots Alliance, a global, pharmacy-led health and wellbeing enterprise, Red Nose Day is an anchor for the company’s goal of supporting health and wellbeing. Walgreens, as part of the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, raised more than $20 million in the U.S. in 2016, supported through sales of Red Noses, providing funds for nutritious meals, essential medicine, clean water and other vital aid and education-based services to children in the U.S. and across the globe.



Beneficiaries of the Red Nose Day Fund include the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which provides safe places for children to learn and play after school; Children’s Health Fund, which brings essential medical services to underserved children; hunger relief organization Feeding America; Save the Children, which provides critical early childhood programs, as well as charity: water; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; National Council of La Raza; and The Global Fund.



This year, the Red Nose Day campaign will culminate in a night of special television programming celebrating Red Nose Day on May 25 starting at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.