Symington family to host digital Port gathering for Red Cross Covid appeal

The Symington family is to host #PortLoversUnite in support of the International Red Cross Covid-19 emergency appeal.

The digital gathering – taking place on Sunday 3 May – will see Port lovers from around the world share a glass of Port via a live video conference with members of the Symington family to raise funds to support humanitarian relief and medical services in conflict areas.

Attendees are asked to register their attendance at 3.00 pm (GMT) on Sunday 3 May via this form, make a contribution to the Red Cross appeal, and join the digital gathering with a glass of Port in hand. Port lovers in other time zones who cannot make the live event are invited to drink a glass of Port on the same day, share a photo on social media using the hashtag #PortLoversUnite, and make a donation to the Red Cross. The Symington family will make their own donation to the same appeal and will announce the total donations raised after the #PortLoversUnite event.

Since the coronavirus reached Portugal, Symington Family Estates have implemented various initiatives to support the national response to the pandemic. These include the in-house production of 10,000 litres of antiseptic gel (made with distilled grape spirit, glycerine and water) which has been distributed to various hospitals in the north of Portugal, the donation of a ventilator to the Vila Real hospital in the Douro region, funding towards a diagnostic X-Ray machine for a hospital south of Porto, and the purchase of 3,000 medical-grade protective masks for hospitals in the Porto area.

Commenting on the initiative, Rob Symington, associate director, Symington Family Estates, said: “For many Port drinkers, opening a bottle is an integral part of family gatherings, especially after lunch on a Sunday – in this case on the weekend of the May Day bank holiday. Sadly, this year many families will not be together. Port has solidarity in its DNA, in that the Douro has more than 21,000 grape growers and 92% of them farm fewer than 5 hectares of vineyard. As a result, people who drink Port are supporting entire communities in the Douro. In this time of social distancing and lockdown, we wanted to create an opportunity for the global Port community to share a glass together online, whilst contributing valuable funds to support the many courageous people on the front lines of this global pandemic. The International Red Cross is doing vital work in response to the pandemic providing emergency healthcare support for those living in conflict zones.”