The Amazon Goes Gold initiative started in the US, in collaboration with the American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) in 2019, with the Gold Ribbon, as the international symbol of childhood cancer.
Like last year, Amazonians across Europe partnered once again with their local charities and non-profit organizations in support of this initiative. Employees participated in PJammin day on September 15th and 16th when they went to work, on-site and virtually, in their pajamas to show solidarity and help raise awareness for kids battling cancer.
In Europe, childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children aged over one year old. It is a problem that children and their families struggle with worldwide. The challenges they face start from getting a proper diagnosis, to specific treatment, nutrition and palliative care [1].
Every year, there are about 35,000 new cases of childhood cancer and 500,000 long-term survivors who live with this disease in Europe[2].
Here’s a run-down of what we did at our corporate offices virtually and in our fulfilment network across Europe.
Luxembourg: We invited our corporate teams to participate in PJammin by sending in pictures of themselves working in their pajamas to raise money. For the second year, we partnered with the Kriibskrank Kanner foundation on the Letz Go Gold run, raising funds to support the research in pediatric cancer.
Germany: In Munich and other locations, Amazonians also wore their pajamas to show their support. The funds raised enabled the non-profit organization DKMS to facilitate hundreds of registrations of potential lifesavers to combat childhood leukemia. 32 Amazon locations also participated in the Life Lolli campaign. In select cities, the German team also customized an Amazon Goes Gold van to make deliveries to customers and charities.
France: Employees were able to donate 10€, to support Gustave Roussy hospital, by posting a PJammin photo of themselves wearing pajamas. Gustave Roussy is one of the world’s leading cancer research institutes and the premier European Cancer Center in the fight against childhood cancer.
Italy: More than 1,600 employees showed their support by participating in the PJammin competition. Amazonians across Italy wore their pajamas both to work on-site, as well as virtually. The site or department with the most shared pictures received funds to donate to a charity supporting children affected by cancer and a hospital’s Pediatric Oncology department.
Spain: Amazon employees across Spain worked in their pajamas virtually and at our logistics sites, to raise funds for Sant Joan de Deu and El Niño Jesus children’s hospitals.
Poland: 6,795 Amazonians from the fulfilment centers participated in playful activities putting up gold decorations, giving children best wishes for their recovery with poems and artwork. Each fulfilment center sending a photo or a video meeting the criteria was awarded an additional donation of EUR 1,200 for a local organization of their choice. The funds raised were donated to the Polsat Foundation, which will support the Dom Wytchnienia hospice in Wroclaw in providing medical care for young patients struggling with cancer.
Czech Republic: 1,400 Amazonians in our fulfilment center participated in the PJammin event and put up gold decorations, to raise donations for the non-profit organization, Kapka Naděje. 50 Kindle devices were also provided to the oncology ward at Motol Hospital.
Slovakia: In our fulfilment center, 1,133 Amazonians participated in PJammin and gold decoration contests, to raise donations for the non-profit organizations Plamienok and Kapka Naděje.
