(Black PR Wire) NEW YORK –  – It was recently announced that Red Nose Day, the national fundraising campaign to end child poverty, will return to NBC with a night of special primetime programming on Thursday, May 24, 2018.

Leading up to the star-studded night of programming, celebrations for Red Nose Day engage millions of Americans across the country. The campaign’s iconic “Red Noses” will once again be available exclusively at Walgreens stores around the country. In addition to the support of the official retail and broadcast partners, the charity is proud to once again be working with national partners Mars Wrigley Confectionery with M&M’S® and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to change the lives of millions of children, one nose at a time. Red Nose Day is run by the nonprofit Comic Relief USA, which harnesses the power of entertainment to drive positive change.

Since its launch in 2015, Red Nose Day in the U.S. has raised over $100 million and has sold 30 million of the campaign’s iconic Red Noses, positively impacting the lives of more than 8.3 million children living in poverty. Money raised through the Red Nose Day campaign has supported programs in all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and 34 countries internationally. It has helped to fund numerous programs to ensure that children in need are safe, healthy and educated, which includes providing more than 32 million meals for hungry American children. Both at home and abroad, Red Nose Day funds have also helped to deliver:

Essential medical services for more than 6.7 million children
Educational support for more than 850,000 children
Care for more than 60,000 homeless children and young people

“People across the country have really taken to the idea of making it fun to make a difference. In three short years we’ve hit such an incredible milestone — raising over $100 million to help end child poverty, impacting over 8 million children,” said Janet Scardino, CEO of Comic Relief USA. “We’re so grateful for the continued support from millions of everyday Americans, hundreds of talent and our outstanding partners. We can’t wait to see the good we can do together in 2018.”

“We continue to be inspired by the generosity of Americans, celebrities and corporate partners who have rallied behind this amazing cause for three years and have helped to raise more than $100 million for kids in need at home and abroad,” said Paul Telegdy President, Alternative and Reality Group, NBC Entertainment. “We look forward to creating another great night of programming to keep the momentum going and make a difference in the lives of children who need it the most.”

Red Nose Day Co-Founder Richard Curtis said, “It’s amazing to see the legendary generosity of Americans in action. From East Coast to West – from classrooms to meeting rooms – the way Red Nose Day has been taken up is a real sign that compassion is always a huge part of American DNA. It’s an honor to be part of it.”

“It is truly rewarding to see the meaningful impact made by the support of our customers and our Walgreens team members to help end child poverty as part of Red Nose Day,” said Alex Gourlay, Walgreens Boots Alliance co-chief operating officer and president of Walgreens. “We’re proud to return as a campaign partner and the exclusive retail provider of Red Noses. Each year this company-wide effort brings people together from thousands of communities around the country for a meaningful cause.”\

“We’re excited to continue our work with Red Nose Day and further support this important cause,” said Lee Andrews, VP Corporate Affairs at Mars Wrigley Confectionery U.S. “This partnership has not only given us the opportunity to positively impact communities everywhere through leveraging our M&M’S® brand, but it has created an incredible way for Associates to come together to make a real difference – and have fun doing it.”

“The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is excited to join Red Nose Day in celebrating this important milestone,” said Jennifer Alcorn, Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We believe that giving should be both meaningful and fun for everyone. Red Nose Day is a wonderful way for anyone to make a difference in a child’s life.”
Red Nose Day’s 2017 campaign raised over $40 million. People wanting to get in on the fun for 2018 and hold Red Nose Day fundraisers at school, work or in their communities can find out more information at rednoseday.org.

Red Nose Day was created by Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning writer-director Richard Curtis, (“Love Actually,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Notting Hill”) and leverages the power of entertainment to bring the nation together to have fun and make a difference for children in need — here in America and around the world. It has raised over $1 billion globally since its launch in the UK in 1988.

Over the last three years, more than 450 celebrities and influencers have lent their support to the Red Nose Day campaign in the U.S., including Jack Black, Bill Gates, Julia Roberts, Paul Rudd, Ed Sheeran, Blake Shelton, Coldplay, Connie Britton, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Kobe Bryant, Bryan Cranston, Ellen DeGeneres, Zac Efron, Will Ferrell, Chris Hardwick, Ryan Gosling, Anna Kendrick, Keira Knightley, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Andrew Lincoln, Laura Linney, Seth Meyers, Julianne Moore, Tracy Morgan, Casey Neistat, Gwyneth Paltrow, Seth Rogen, Michelle Rodriguez, Reese Witherspoon, and many more.

Full campaign details, including further information on programming, participating talent, and events nationwide will be announced at a later date.

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ABOUT RED NOSE DAY USA
Red Nose Day in the United States is a fundraising campaign run by the non-profit organization Comic Relief Inc., also known as Comic Relief USA, a registered U.S. 501(c)(3) public charity. Red Nose Day started in the U.K., built on the foundation that the power of entertainment can drive positive change, and has raised over $1 billion globally since the campaign’s founding in 1988. Money raised goes to the Red Nose Day Fund, which supports programs that keep children in need safe, healthy and educated, both in America and abroad.

Grantee Partners include the Boys & Girls Clubs of America; charity: water; City Year; Children's Health Fund; Covenant House; Feeding America; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Laureus Sport for Good; Oxfam America; Rotary/End Polio Now; Save the Children; The Global Fund; and UnidosUS. Since launching in the U.S., Red Nose Day has received generous support from millions of Americans, hundreds of celebrities and many outstanding partners, including Walgreens, NBC, Mars, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information about Red Nose Day and its impact, visit rednoseday.org. Follow @RedNoseDayUSA on Twitter and Instagram, and on Facebook.

ABOUT COMIC RELIEF USA
Comic Relief USA is an American charity using the power of entertainment to drive positive change to help those who need it most in America and around the world. Our campaigns include Red Nose Day, Idol Gives Back, and Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief.