Apple To Donate Part Of Holiday Sales Towards AIDS Battle

Apple has launched a new campaign where it pledges to donate a part of sales from retail and online stores on Black Friday and Cyber Monday in a battle against AIDS.

Apple is taking a stand against the viral infection that has caused several deaths in the past. To help fight AIDS, Apple is donating a portion of sales at its global online and retail stores on two biggest holiday shopping days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The Cupertino tech giant launched a two-week campaign where it will dedicate a special section of the Apple App Store for Apps for (RED), where all proceeds from the sales of the apps will go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS.

As a way to attract consumers, Apple said the special app store section will feature exclusive content to drive sales. This section will feature separate in-app content, levels and characters for popular games such as Bubble Witch Saga and Angry Birds.

In addition, Apple said it will donate a part of sales from both its retail and online sales channels that will take place on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, recognized as the busiest shopping days of the year in the U.S.

Separately, Apple also plans to distribute a special edition (RED) gift card with the purchase of select Apple products. Apple will donate a percent of each gift card that is distributed to consumers.

"Apple is a proud supporter of (RED) because we believe the gift of life is the most important gift anyone can give," Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, said in a press release. "For eight years, our customers have been helping fight AIDS in Africa by funding life-saving treatments which are having a profoundly positive impact. This year we are launching our biggest fundraising push yet with the participation of Apple's retail and online stores, and some of the brightest minds in the App Store are lending their talents to the effort as well."

Black Friday falls on Friday, November 28 while the Cyber Monday shares its date with World Aids Day on December 1. These two days, retailers around the U.S. offer steep discounts on a wide range of products to fulfill consumers' holiday shopping needs. Retailers like Amazon, Wal-Mart and others have already kicked off their discount frenzy a week ahead of the big sales day.