Airlift Haiti Update — 2/4/2010

We also need a few volunteers, mainly stateside including a web developer, documentary film maker and publicist and someone to set up a Airlift Haiti Facebook page. We are eager to tell our story.

The one common denominator amongst every single doctor, nurse, soldier, builder, missionary or volunteer working to save lives in Haiti is this. They each arrived on an airplane.

This is why Airlift Haiti exists. To provide this one critical link in the gap between willing volunteers, supplies and those in need in and around Port-Au-Prince. We provide air transportation of much needed relief supplies and medical teams to Haiti aboard our Boeing aircraft.

Big Hollywood’s own Gary Graham moments before departure for Port-Au-Prince

What I didn’t expect when asked for Andrew Breitbart’s help and shortly thereafter commenced our effort to help with Haiti relief was that it would come to occupy my every waking hour. That was several weeks ago and many lost nights of sleep.

Since that time Airlift Haiti has commenced fulfilling our mission of flying relief workers and supplies to Haiti with our inaugural flight occurring Monday January 23.

We loaded our 737 VIP aircraft to the gills with medicine, supplies and medical teams comprised of surgeons, pediatricians, nurses, security personnel and others, mainly volunteers from The University of Miami’s Project Medishare. These were fresh recruits being flown to Haiti to relieve teams that had already been on the ground in Haiti for 7-10 days and were in sore need of sleep, a hot shower and a real meal.

We conducted the first flight for Project Medishare. Many of the medical teams had been flown to Haiti on board any kind of aircraft they could manage, often small private planes with little cargo capacity. Our aircraft was able to loads tons of supplies and nearly 3 dozen medical staff. It was a step in the right direction.

Since then, Airlift Haiti has been instrumental in a number of flights and the delivery of over 80,000 lbs of cargo.

Part of our flight crew members who helped get us there.

I was amazed to hear the stories coming from the many doctors and surgeons on our first flight back to Miami. Many had been there for 7-10 days and been working around the clock, sleeping on army cots and subsisting on power bars and bottled water. So many heart breaking stories of lives and limbs lost. Many of the volunteers having left their day jobs to help out and unsure if they would have employment upon their return. Regardless, they wouldn’t trade being there for any amount of money in the world.

The news media cycle is already winding down. Many in Haiti fear that America and the world will soon forget while they are left to cope with the devastation alone.

On our final approach into Port-Au-Prince I was struck by the shear devastation. Entire neighborhoods of ramshackle concrete homes completely flattened., what appeared to be funeral pyres lit the dusk, the acrid smell of nearby fires burning. One might ask, where do you begin trying to rebuild. One brick at a time I am reminded.

Our “one brick” is to continue to provide air transport to as many relief agencies as we can afford to for as long as the need exists.

With so much negative being cited in the media about how some organizations are carelessly spending donation money, we can assure you that Airlift Haiti is no bureaucracy. There is no payroll or overhead. Donations go directly to supporting the various flights that we hope to continue providing to deserving medical and relief teams. Organizations such as Partners In Health, Project Medishare, Missionary Flights International, American Red Cross and Save The Children and many others.

What do we need? Mainly cash to purchase jet fuel and pay basic operating expenses.

We also need a few volunteers, mainly stateside including a web developer, documentary film maker and publicist and someone to set up a Airlift Haiti Facebook page. We are eager to tell our story.

Please visit our website and donate now. www.airlifthaiti.org