Andy Lee and Rebecca Harding on Their Mission to Vaccinate the World’s Most Vulnerable

It’s not like Australia’s own vaccine roll-out has been smooth sailing, but at least we live in a wealthy country with low infection rates, resources and affordable healthcare.

The same cannot be said for more vulnerable countries, which is why it’s so incredibly important that efforts are made to get communities in these disadvantaged countries vaccinated against COVID-19. So that life can resume into a new normal, so that school can commence once again for children, so that frontline workers are protected and can care for their communities.

Andy Lee and Rebecca Harding feel strongly that basic healthcare is a non-negotiable for all, and have partnered with the Cotton On Foundation in the largest vaccine operation in history. Together with UNICEF, the Cotton On Foundation is helping to deliver one million COVID-19 vaccines to the world’s most vulnerable.

From now until July 4, 100 percent of proceeds from Cotton On Foundation products will be donated to support this important cause. The range includes face masks, tote bags, and body care products. “And even if you don’t need anything new, you can actually donate in-store and online,” Lee tells POPSUGAR Australia.

In a candid chat around their partnership with the Cotton On Foundation, we find out why vaccinating the world’s most vulnerable is so important to Lee and Harding, and find out how they’re coping with another wave of restrictions.

POPSUGAR Australia: The Cotton On x UNICEF partnership is a commendable and important initiative. Why was it important to you to align to such a great cause?

Andy Lee: We’ve been working with the Cotton On Foundation for a while now. For Bec, It’s one of the things she inherited from dating me, which is one of the only positives about dating me I suppose (laughs). 

The foundation started out building schools in Uganda with a focus on education in vulnerable countries. And in this weird time, the funds will be diverted to UNICEF to help the roll-out of one million vaccine doses in these countries. 

Rebecca Harding: The work that the Cotton On Foundation does around education and building schools… it’s just so valuable, and for me, I think education is a right of passage that everyone should have access to. I feel the same way about health, especially during a pandemic. Everyone should be able to stay healthy and have access to basic healthcare and these vaccines. It’s really important work that the foundation is doing. 

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A post shared by Rebecca Harding (@rebeccalharding)

PS: The campaign supports the world’s most vulnerable. What do you want Australians to know about COVID in these communities? 

AL: This million doses that the foundation is hoping to raise money for will go towards frontline workers and teachers. Well over 100 million kids have been out of school during the pandemic in these third world countries, and so that’s where the link is for us in wanting to work with the Cotton On Foundation. We’re not going to be safe until everybody’s safe, and the majority of the world will need to be vaccinated before we’re able to go back to travelling “as normal”.

PS: Living in Victoria, you went through a unique ordeal in 2020 shared by all Melburnians. What is it like this time, as you are reminded of the impact COVID has had on Melbourne in this new wave of restrictions?

RH: Of course some of our friends are feeling a bit flat, but we’ve done it before and we can do it again! Hopefully, these restrictions last only a short time this time around. 

AL: Yeah, I mean, there’s only so many times you can clean the garage out… (laughs)

PS: What got you through that experience in 2020? 

RH: I took up flower arranging! One of my dream jobs was always to be a florist, and I taught myself the craft because I needed something creative as a hobby to get me through. 

AL: Apologies to all the neighbours within a five kilometre radius of us that kept getting flowers stolen from their front yards! But if it’s hanging over the fence it’s fair game, right? Me? I drank through the first lockdown and then exercised through the second one. And then pubs reopened and all progress went out the window.

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A post shared by Andy Lee (@andytomlee)

PS: As you look towards a bright, COVID-free future, what do you picture for yourselves and for the world? 

AL: The excitement is, of course, in travelling again. And certainly for me with my pal Hamish, we love travel and we love our travel shows. I think there’s an opportunity not to take it for granted this time around, which will probably last around four weeks before everyone will forget the pandemic ever happened. 

RH: My family is all over Australia, so last year was really tough; not to be able to see them. I think people will have a renewed appreciation for time spent with friends and family, and of course, travel. 

PS: We had the opportunity to speak with Hamish and Zoe recently about their travels with Tourism Australia. I know you’re close, so how are you coping with their move to Sydney?

AL: Yeah well we used to live around the corner from each other so we would carpool to work together every day! Now we just call each other on the drive instead. But the major difference would be when Hamish used to have a window of around 15 minutes, we could meet at the pub that was equal distance from our two houses in Melbourne. That’s obviously a lot harder now — we’d have to meet at the pub in Albury or Holbrooke, which would probably be halfway between our homes now! But Sydney is never far away. 

PS: Would you ever consider a move? 

RH: I love Sydney, I have a lot of close friends up there…

AL: It’s a hard no from me! I love the Carlton Football Club and the Melbourne Cricket Grounds. 

You can shop the range of Cotton On Foundation products or make a donation here.