Salvatore Ferragamo in partnership with the Anna Meyer Paediatric Hospital Foundation

Together, #salvatoreferragamo and the Foundation of the Anna Meyer Paediatric Hospital announce the start of their three-year #partnership to promote scientific research and expand the hospital.

While the Florentine #fashion house has supported the arts frequently and concretely over the years, its close relationship with the world of culture has never distracted the Company nor its employees from their steady commitment to supporting more explicitly humanitarian and social causes.

This #partnership with the Anna Meyer Paediatric Hospital, a symbol of Florentine excellence, elevates and reinforces Salvatore Ferragamo’s deep ties to the region and the city of Florence, a place of rich history and extraordinary culture, where the company’s founder chose to settle and bring his ideas and dream to life.

As part of the agreement, the Company has helped purchase a tandem mass spectrometer, a new machine to be used to diagnose rare diseases and to develop new techniques for scientific research into metabolic diseases. #salvatoreferragamo will also support the clinical development of paediatric cardiology and the hospital’s expansion plan, contributing to the development of the Health Centre, where a large structure will be built for daytime activities and child neuropsychiatry. Additionally, the #partnership will entail other forms of collaboration through joint initiatives and participation by the Company’s employees in marathons and other competitive charity events.

“Sustainability is an ambition that #salvatoreferragamo has decided to embrace and undertake for future generations,” noted Ferruccio Ferragamo, Chairman of #salvatoreferragamo S.p.A. “We are committed to putting social responsibility at the centre of our decision-making process. At this singular time in history, in which all #people - more than ever before - face significant threats to their health and wellbeing, it is our duty as a business to frame our work within the principles of solidarity and the creation of positive value, in order to protect and improve the community. This is why I am proud to have signed this three-year #partnership with the Meyer Foundation, an icon of Florentine excellence that the city is honoured to call its own.”

Prof. Gianpaolo Donzelli, Chairman of the Meyer Foundation, added, “The #partnership and support that #salvatoreferragamo S.p.A. has chosen to offer the Foundation enhance the Company’s standing in Florence and throughout the country. Perhaps it is more than a coincidence that when #salvatoreferragamo returned to Italy in 1927 at the age of 29, after working in the United States for 13 years, he opened his first true shoemaker’s workshop in Florence, just a few hundred metres from the Meyer hospital’s original location. Who knows how many times Salvatore, as he passed by the entrance, thought of the importance of teamwork in healing children’s diseases, just as teamwork was important in his life to accomplish the objectives that he had clearly pictured in his mind. We value this #partnership for what it represents, and we would like to express our deepest gratitude to #salvatoreferragamo.”

The Meyer Hospital and Foundation

Meyer is a highly specialised paediatric hospital in Florence and the top national centre for complex paediatric treatment. It has grown considerably over the years, and now around 44,000 children are brought to its emergency room each year, while over 700,000 children are examined in the clinic and nearly 33,000 are admitted for overnight or day hospital stays or for day surgery.

The hospital has 250 general medicine beds and offers all fields of paediatric medicine and surgery. It also has the highest complexity rate among Italian paediatric hospitals: 1.19, which explains why more than one out of every four of its patients comes from outside the region of Tuscany.

For over 20 years, the Meyer Hospital has relied on the support of its Foundation, which raises funds for all major projects to improve the care and comfort of paediatric patients. The Meyer Foundation sponsors the purchase of high-tech medical equipment, scientific r esearch d irectly r elated t o diagnostics, accommodations for paediatric patients’ family members in affiliated facilities and play therapy, exclusively funded by individual and #corporate donors (the play area and library are always open at the hospital, in addition to clown musicians and pet therapy in the wards and waiting areas).

Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A.

Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. is the parent Company of the #salvatoreferragamo Group, one of the world’s leaders in the luxury industry and whose origins date back to 1927. The Group is active in the creation, production and sale of shoes, leather goods, apparel, silk products and other accessories, along with women’s and men’s fragrances. The Group’s product offer also includes eyewear and watches, manufactured by licensees. The uniqueness and exclusivity of our creations, along with the perfect blend of style, creativity and innovation enriched by the quality and superior craftsmanship of the ‘Made in Italy’ tradition, have always been the hallmarks of the Group’s products. With approximately 4,000 employees and a network of 656 mono-brand stores as of 30 September 2020, the Ferragamo Group operates in Italy and worldwide through companies that allow it to be a leader in the European, American and Asian markets.