AVG (AU/NZ) becomes a National Community Partner of Australian Red Cross with a $150,000 donation to promote water and sanitation in the Asia Pacific region.

Melbourne, 14 December 2011 – AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd, the distributor of the award-winning AVG Internet and mobile security software in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, has announced it has become a National Community Partner of Australian Red Cross with a donation of $150,000. 

Money raised from AVG (AU/NZ)’s partnership will be used to support the Cribas Water Supply Project in East Timor. This project is one of many key Australian Red Cross water and sanitation programs in the Asia Pacific region where Red Cross works to deliver clean, safe drinking water and adequate sanitation programs for adults and children.

At least four million people die each year from diseases associated with the lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. Furthermore, dirty water and poor sanitation is the world’s second biggest killer of children.

AVG (AU/NZ) invests a large component of its marketing budget building grassroots awareness of issues related to the very real threats to online security by Internet viral attacks and the growing cost of personal identity theft. Whilst working to help make individuals and businesses across its community safe and secure from online infection, AVG (AU/NZ) sees an equally compelling need to help vulnerable people be safe from infection in the physical world.

AVG (AU/NZ)’s CEO Peter Cameron said: “We understand that with awareness and the right tools most online infection is preventable. So too can the successful fight against disease be expanded into our wider community.” 

AVG (AU/NZ) is the only software vendor to become a partner of Australian Red Cross at this high National Community Partner level of commitment and the donation adds to the company’s well established portfolio of philanthropic work. 

The impetus for this new partnership came from Peter Cameron’s personal travel experiences. Having witnessed the effects of poverty across our neighbouring region, Cameron determined to expand on his vision for online health to help people in need across the Asia Pacific. 

Cameron’s investigation of the programs being conducted by Australian Red Cross convinced him of its accountability, transparency and effectiveness: “Australian Red Cross is a powerful partner for reputable businesses and for us there is also the obvious synergy in our joint drive to protect the vulnerable in our community. 

“We are using the success of our business to make a difference in the world. The Red Cross sponsorship is our first major donation and we have a made a commitment to extend our philanthropic work from this significant start point,” Cameron said.