Omnicom Health Group, a global healthcare marketing and communications group, has launched #UniteInGratitude, a national campaign to inspire support for U.S. healthcare workers facing burnout and fatigue as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

As part of the campaign, e-commerce store UniteInGratitude.com has been created to raise money for the CDC Foundation’s Coronavirus Emergency Response Fund, which provides personal protective equipment (PPE), medical supplies, emergency staffing and support for vulnerable communities. Top 40 distributor IMS (asi/215310) has contributed by not only helping curate the promotional merchandise collection, but also building the ordering and fulfillment platform. IMS’ fulfillment teams will continue to be involved by processing and shipping customer orders.

The centerpiece of the merchandise is the Gratitude Flag – a reimagined American flag with surgical masks as stars and surgical green stripes. The flags are prominently featured on various T-shirts, baseball caps and insulated water bottles, all made in the U.S. Roseland, NJ-based Annin Flagmakers (asi/36256) are manufacturing the flags for sale, as well as to be donated to 100 hospitals across the country.

“Ending the COVID-19 pandemic will require a marathon versus a sprint,” said Judy Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “We thank Omnicom Health Group for highlighting the critical work, dedication and bravery of our nation’s healthcare workers. Support raised from this effort will be used by the CDC Foundation to support health workers in America’s vulnerable communities.”

#UniteInGratitude says it all. Let's join together to thank our healthcare workers. And, thanks to @OmnicomHealth for launching this important campaign to recognize our frontline workers. https://t.co/ZhYXzkTRW7#coronavirus pic.twitter.com/qoldBOFCEM

— CDC Foundation (@CDCFound) July 7, 2020

Pfizer and Merck & Co. are supporting #UniteInGratitude through sponsorship grants to cover out-of-pocket costs associated with launching the campaign and webstore.

The CDC Foundation is the nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) critical health protection mission.