The Foundation had committed $200million to NSU last month.
The Drs Kiran & Pallavi Patel Family Foundation, which committed $200 million to Florida’s Nova Southeastern University last month, has sent two private jets with supplies to NSU’s regional campus in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.
The supplies are being distributed to NSU’s students, faculty and staff on NSU’s campus in San Juan.
“Seeing what is happening in Puerto Rico, and knowing that NSU has a regional campus on the island, I knew I had to do something to help,” said Indian American cardiologist, entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr. Kiran C. Patel in a statement. “I’m part of the NSU family and they are hurting; as a physician, a husband, a father – as a person – how could I not help?”
NSU President Dr. George Hanbury approached Patel for help and together they planned to send in supplies to the devastated area.
Hanbury praised Patel’s prompt response to his request and said that the university will support the affected community in all ways possible.
“In roughly 36 hours, NSU officials worked to determine what essentials were needed, and then made arrangements for Dr Patel to have his private jet fly to Fort Lauderdale so it could be loaded with those items and taken to the island,” the statement by NSU said. “A second flight is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 30.”
Hanbury said, “NSU stands with the entire Puerto Rican community as everyone works to bring normalcy back to the island after the devastating Hurricane Maria.”
Thanking the Patel Family Foundation for supporting the university’s relief efforts “at a time when it’s difficult to even communicate with the Shark family on the island,” he said that NSU’s goal is to enable its “students to return to their coursework, and ensure the safety of all our constituents in Puerto Rico.”
He added, “One way everyone can help is to volunteer or provide financial assistance through the NSU CARES fund, supporting students, faculty and staff affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.”
The university has already collected more than $12,000 to help affected individuals to recover from the hurricane impact, the statement added.
On September 25, at an event held on the Davie, FL, campus of NSU, Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel pledged $200 million to the school to advance healthcare in the United States, India and Africa. Of the total, $50 million is in direct contributions and more than $150 million will be in real estate and facility investment for a medical complex in Clearwater, FL.