Direct Relief sends first charter of critical medical supplies to COVID-ravaged India
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Santa Barbara-based Direct Relief is sending out its first charter of critical medical supplies to India, thanks to FedEx. Loading the massive cargo plane on a New Jersey tarmac wrapped up about 1:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
(Courtesy: Tony Morain/Direct Relief) Having FedEx step up and give us their largest aircraft at no charge, and all the capacity of their entire workforce top to bottom from Memphis to Mumbai that makes a huge difference, said Thomas Tighe.
NewsChannel 3 spoke with Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief, Friday morning via Zoom. He was in New Jersey monitoring Saturday morning s early cargo departure to Mumbai.
NBA All-Star 2021 to support Direct Relief’s Fund for Health Equity
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Santa Barbara-based Direct Relief will be sharing some of the spotlight Sunday night during the NBA All-Star Game.
This year s All-Star events in Atlanta are expected to raise at least $3 million to support historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), as well as Direct Relief s Fund for Health Equity.
Direct Relief recently established the fund in the wake of last year s resurgence of social justice protests and movements for change.
“I mean, COVID is showing the pressures and [health] disparities that exist,” Direct Relief President and CEO Thomas Tighe said Friday. “The idea for the ‘Fund for Health Equity’ is that as we get through this, if we revert back to the way it was, that’s not good enough.