George Harrison’s The Material World Foundation Donating $500,000 In Relief Effort

The Material World Foundation, created by George Harrison in 1973, is today donating $500,000 to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, Save the Children and Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) charities, which are providing much needed aid and care during this COVID-19 pandemic. To help raise additional funds the Foundation has also launched The Inner Light Challenge. The challenge asks people around the globe to share a verse, chorus, or line from The Beatles song ‘The Inner Light’ and post it with the hashtag #innerlight2020. For every person that shares their own “Inner Light” moment on social media using the #innerlight2020 hashtag, the Material World Foundation will give another $1 (up to $100,000) to help those affected by the virus.

Without going out of my door, I can know all things on earth.

Without looking out of my window, I can know the ways of heaven.

Olivia Harrison said, “These lyrics sung by George are a positive reminder to all of us who are isolating, in quarantine or respecting the request to shelter in place. Let’s get and stay connected at this difficult time.  There are things we can do to help and we invite you to share your Inner Light.”

The Inner Light Challenge:

– The Material World Foundation will donate another $1 (up to $100,000) for every one of you who shares their own “Inner Light” moment on social media using the hashtag #innerlight2020 

– This can be a verse, a chorus, or a line from the song, just sing it, play it, hum it, strum it, paint it, knit it, chant it, plant it, pray or meditate and post it to social media using the hashtag #innerlight2020

– Watch Dhani Harrison’s cover of the song here. [INSERT LINK TO VIDEO OF DHANI PLAYING THE SONG –  https://youtu.be/yCw3xeoTWf0 HERE]

The Inner Light – The Beatles

[INSERT LINK to Beatles Inner Light video – https://youtu.be/sa3948JzWCc HERE]

Without going out of my door
I can know all things on earth
Without looking out of my window
I can know the ways of heaven

The farther one travels
The less one knows
The less one really knows

Without going out of your door
You can know all things on earth
Without looking out of your window
You can know the ways of heaven

The farther one travels
The less one knows
The less one really knows

Arrive without traveling
See all without looking
Do all without doing

#innerlight2020

www.materialworldfoundation.com

www.georgeharrison.com

ABOUT THE CHARITIES

The Material World Foundation 

The release of George’s 1973 album entitled ‘Living in the Material World’ coincided with the creation of his own charitable foundation. The royalties from that album – including the single ‘Give Me Love’ – were donated by George in perpetuity to the Material World Foundation. George established the Foundation to encourage the exploration of alternate and diverse forms of artistic expression, life views and philosophies as well as a way to support established charities and people with special needs. In the autumn of 1973, the first project of the foundation was the ‘Ravi Shankar Music Festival’, which brought together renowned Indian classical musicians to perform and record compositions especially created by Ravi Shankar. Even though George passed on from this material world in 2001, his charitable work has continued. In response to an outpouring of emotion by fans and friends, ‘My Sweet Lord’ was re-released in 2002. The profits from that single benefited: Médicins Sans Frontières, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Macmillan Nurses, National Deaf Children’s Society, NSPCC and many more.

MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

In recent weeks, COVID-19 has devastated the music community, leaving thousands of music creators and professionals without work and an uncertain future. The Recording Academy and its affiliated charitable foundation Musicares have established the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help musicians and their families affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief-fund

Save the Children

Around the world, Save the Children does whatever it takes — every day and in times of crisis — to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.

When crisis strikes and children are most vulnerable, Save the Children are among the first to respond and the last to leave. Ensuring children’s unique needs are met and their voices are heard. Delivering lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach. Whatever it takes for children — transforming their lives and the future we share — because every child deserves a future.

During this difficult time, for example, school districts are making the difficult decision to close due to COVID-19. An unintended consequence for kids is losing valuable learning and instruction time. The earliest years are most important for a child’s development, and missing out on learning now could have devastating impact on their future growth. As national leaders in early childhood education, Save the Children is committed to help children and families during this uncertain time by providing learning resources for our nation’s youngest learners.
https://www.savethechildren.org

Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders)

The Material World Foundation
Medecins Sans Frontieres teams are responding to the coronavirus emergency on multiple fronts—caring for patients, offering health education and mental health support, and providing training for vital infection control measures in health facilities around the world. MSF is working with local authorities in many of the countries where they have medical projects to help prepare for the impact of COVID-19. A key priority is to keep regular medical programs running for the tens of thousands of patients and extremely vulnerable communities MSF help support. This pandemic threatens the lives of people around the world, and presents even greater risks in countries with weak or fragile health systems.

Teams are already assisting with supporting hospitals in Northern Italy, helping with efforts in China, Hong Kong and Iran, and is also preparing to assist vulnerable communities in France, including migrants, homeless people, and unaccompanied minors. Many of these people are forced to live in unsanitary conditions in substandard housing or in overcrowded, makeshift encampments. These living conditions can foster the spread of infectious diseases such as coronavirus.

https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org