Dated: March 13, 2020

UNICEF’s commitment to putting people and their safety first is of utmost importance. Given the recent government emergency declarations about the Novel Coronavirus presence in Massachusetts, and with WHO’s declaration, it is with great sadness that we have made the difficult decision to postpone the 2020 UNICEF Luncheon Boston.

This decision was made after consulting with CDC experts, Board Members, external stakeholders and staff, and is in keeping with deep sense of responsibility to our community. Though the UNICEF Luncheon Boston on April 1st is cancelled, we are working closely with our event participants, vendors and leadership to find a date in spring 2021 to hold the event.

On behalf of our Co-Chairs Brenda Bancel and Jeannette Hsu-McSweeney; the Luncheon Committee; New England Regional Board and everyone who has worked so hard to create this powerful moment for UNICEF in Boston, we sincerely hope you will be able to join us on a new date to celebrate and recognize our work for children.

This virus is a painful reminder of the global challenges facing families and children around the world. UNICEF stays committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure every child, everywhere has the opportunity to lead a healthy and safe life.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why are you postponing the UNICEF Luncheon Boston?

This decision was made in consultation with our leadership team and board of directors out of an abundance of caution for our staff and participants. We considered criteria including CDC recommendations, recent state of emergency and WHO declarations, the number of people at the event, and the evolving circumstances surrounding the novel coronavirus.

What if I purchased a table or ticket?

Thank you for your generous support of UNICEF. Our team will be in touch with you individually within the next 10 business days regarding your support. Should you have any questions, please contact boston@unicefusa.org.

When will the event be rescheduled?

Although the 2020 UNICEF Luncheon Boston will no longer happen, we are working closely with our event participants, vendors and leadership to find a date in spring 2021 to hold the event. In the meantime, we hope you are able to join us to learn more about UNICEF’s work in a webinar this spring. Further information will be shared in the days ahead.

How is UNICEF USA being financially responsible with the event?

We are working with our vendors towards transferring all expected costs to host a rescheduled event and reduce the additional expenses for the organization. We are thankful to have great partners in Rafanelli Events and other vendors who are working closely with us on this situation.

How is UNICEF responding to the coronavirus programmatically?

By the time the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency on January 30,UNICEF had already rushed the first shipment of 6 metric tons of medical suppliesto aid response efforts. As of March 13, UNICEF had delivered 1.2 million gloves, nearly 300.000 masks, over 38,000 protective suits and more than 45,000 protective goggles fordistribution to health care workers in the East Asia and Pacific region.

UNICEF is leading on preventative actions in communities across the affected countries with risk communication, providing hygiene and medical kits to schools and health clinics and monitoring the impact of the outbreak to support continuity of care, education and social services. So far, UNICEF has reached more than 32 million people with transmission prevention messages in the region and plans to reach an additional 210 million people in the coming days.

On March 1, United Nations Humanitarian Chief MarkLowcockreleased $15 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help fund global efforts to contain the virus. "At this pivotal moment, every effort must be made to push back against the outbreak," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. "These crucial funds will support our global efforts to bolster weaker health systems and inform children, pregnant women and families about how to protect themselves."

For more information on the virus and UNICEF’s global response, pleaseclick here.