A Richmond-based company is doing what it can to help vaccinate people around the world against COVID-19.
Milton Carrasco, CEO and co-founder of software company Transoft Solutions near No. 6 Road and Westminster Highway, has promised to quadruple the donations his employees make to COVAX, a global initiative aimed at providing equitable access to vaccines.
“I believe that all of us have a duty and obligation, as part of a global community, to be helping whenever we can,” said Carrasco.
Employee donations will be double-matched by the company and Carrasco himself, he said.
He said the idea for the fundraiser, which runs until the end of the month, was raised by one of Transoft’s employees.
“The way he presented it was, essentially, we got our vaccine for free in the developed world and wouldn’t it be nice if we could fund those poorer countries,” Carrasco said. “Because we are a global company and we draw on revenues from those international markets – we feel (this) is one way to put back into those markets as well.”
Moreover, the pandemic won’t be over until the vaccine is made available to everyone, he added.
“Only then will we be freely allowed to travel and continue life as normal, including our own employees having to travel to these various parts of the world… Besides that, we can see the suffering in India, as an example of a country that is reeling from not having the ability to vaccinate its people. Why can’t we do something to stop the misery in these countries that need our help?”
Transoft held similar global fundraisers during the pandemic, raising $45,000 to help provide COVID-19 relief and approximately $23,000 for food banks around the world.
COVAX was launched in April 2020, co-led by GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and the World Health Organization, as well as key delivery partner UNICEF.
