Shawn Mendes’ Foundation Donates $175,000 To Toronto’s SickKids For COVID-19 Relief

Canadian singer Shawn Mendes and his philanthropic organization, The Shawn Mendes Foundation, has donated $175,000 to support COVID-19 relief for children in the singer’s hometown of Toronto.

The donation was made to Toronto’s SickKids Foundation, the largest charitable funder of child health research, learning and care in Canada, and will support “urgent screening and prevention” of COVID-19, the 21-year-old said.

“The @shawnfoundation & I have been working to find ways to best support COVID-19 relief efforts, and to direct our resources to where we can make a difference,” he wrote in the Instagram post. “We’ve made a donation to @sickkidssvs hospital this week to help support the urgent screening and prevention of COVID-19 in my hometown of Toronto.”

All donations made to The Shawn Mendes Foundation in the next month will benefit the SickKids Hospital, as well as relief efforts around the world by the World Health Organization.

“We are so grateful to Shawn and The Shawn Mendes Foundation for their continued support of SickKids Foundation and our hospital here in Toronto,” said Ted Garrard, SickKids Foundation chief executive officer, in a press release. “This generous and timely donation will assist our hospital with increased efforts in prevention and screening of COVID-19.”

The foundation, founded by the singer in August 2019, was formed to amplify causes that Mendes and his fans care deeply about, including Children’s healthcare, sustainability, mental health and wellness, human rights and more.

Mendes joins a growing list of celebrities and public figures who have made donations to combat COVID-19.

Rihanna’s education and emergency relief nonprofit, The Clara Lionel Foundation, donated $5 million toward COVID-19 response efforts. Singer Ciara and husband, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, donated one million meals to Food Lifeline, which provides “food to more than 300 food banks, shelters and meal programs across Western Washington.” Actress Blake Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds donated $1 million, which will be split between hunger relief organizations Feeding America in the U.S. and Food Banks Canada.

Over the weekend, Mendes played a surprise Instagram live concert with girlfriend Camila Cabello—one of the many ways artists have connected with fans while social-distancing at home.