The Vertex Foundation Donates $300,000 to Support COVID-19 Relief Efforts in the Most Vulnerable Massachusetts Communities
Today’s donation part of recent $5 million commitment to support global COVID-19 relief
BOSTON – April 7, 2020 – Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced that the Vertex Foundation, a nonprofit charitable foundation, has donated an additional $300,000 to support COVID-19 relief efforts in some of the most vulnerable communities across Massachusetts. The Vertex Foundation’s funds will help organizations that are providing emergency relief and assistance across the Western and Southern regions of the state, including providing more than 400,000 meals for those in need.
“As the virus continues to spread across Massachusetts, it has become clear that certain communities and residents are more vulnerable to the impacts of this pandemic, lacking access to basic food, care and education,” said Dr. Jeffrey Leiden, Executive Chairman of Vertex. “Today’s donations are focused on providing essential community support to those who are particularly at risk in the Pioneer Valley, western MA and Fall River.”
Today’s announcement includes $100,000 donations to each of the following three charities:
- Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, to support its COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley;
- The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, to provide 400,000 meals for its emergency feeding programs across Hampden, Hampshire, Berkshire and Franklin counties; and
- United Way of Greater Fall River, to support its COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts across the Southcoast community.
“We are extremely grateful for this very generous donation at such a critical time in our nation’s history,” said Andrew Morehouse, Executive Director, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. “This support will enable us to provide emergency food assistance to ever greater numbers of people across western Mass. who are losing their jobs due to the impact of COVID-19 on our local economy.”
“We will only defeat this COVID-19 pandemic by rallying together and supporting each other in this time of need,” said Congressman Joseph Kennedy III. “With this generous contribution, the Vertex Foundation will support organizations like the United Way of Greater Fall River in their efforts to lift up our communities and lead us to a safer, healthy future.”
“I am grateful to the Vertex Foundation for their generous donations to support two community organizations here in western Massachusetts,” said Congressman Richard E. Neal. “They are just one of countless businesses who have stepped up to aid our community in the wake of this pandemic. Their kindness will ensure that our most vulnerable will continue to be cared for.”
The donations announced today are in addition to the $1 million donation the Vertex Foundation made last month to help establish the Boston Resiliency Fund, which is coordinating fundraising and philanthropic efforts to assist Boston residents whose health and well-being are most immediately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and a $500,000 donation to Partners HealthCare to support expanding COVID-19 testing capacity and through donations of the company’s personal protective equipment. Together, these donations are part of the recent $5 million commitment by the Vertex Foundation to support organizations that are providing COVID-19 emergency relief and assistance in the global communities where Vertex operates.
About the Vertex Foundation
The Vertex Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation. It seeks to improve the lives of people with serious diseases and in its communities through education, innovation and health programs. Established in 2017, the Foundation is a long-term source of charitable giving and is part of Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ corporate giving commitment. To learn more about the Vertex Foundation, visit https://www.vrtx.com/responsibility/vertex-foundation.
About Vertex
Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has multiple approved medicines that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) — a rare, life-threatening genetic disease — and has several ongoing clinical and research programs in CF. Beyond CF, Vertex has a robust pipeline of investigational small molecule medicines in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including pain, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and APOL1-mediated kidney diseases. In addition, Vertex has a rapidly expanding pipeline of genetic and cell therapies for diseases such as sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex's global headquarters is now located in Boston's Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London, UK. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including 10 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top Employers list and top five on the 2019 Best Employers for Diversity list by Forbes. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex's history of innovation, visit www.vrtx.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.