The Navajo Nation, home to roughly 170,000 people, now has more COVID-19 cases per capita than any state in America. Navajo people have a much higher risk for infection (because they carry a higher rate of diabetes and hypertension) and for community spread (because they don't have access to a variety of things, like food and water, that make it possible to self-isolate and prevent the spread of infection). The Navajo population has been hit so hard by COVID-19 that Doctors Without Borders (an organization known for sending medical professionals into international conflict zones to assist with medical crises) is dispatching a team of nine to the reservation to help.

All of this is why three former Brophy classmates, who are all successful Arizona business leaders, teamed up to help. They pooled resources from their companies -- including Four Peaks Brewing Company, Precedo Capital and Sunstate Equipment -- to help collect, pack up and personally deliver pallets of items to the Navajo Nation.

The donations -- which came in from their three companies, along with Brophy, the general public, PurM+D, and Phat Scooters -- included non-perishable food, bottled water, toiletries, and hand sanitizer.

To make the 12-pallet delivery, the three classmates departed from the Valley at 4 a.m. on Monday, in the dark. They drove a rented truck from Ryder, which donated 800 miles to the effort. After about a five-hour drive, they dropped off the donated items to the Window Rock Wellness Center. They then traveled about five hours back to the Valley that same day, returning in the dark, at about at 7 p.m. Monday.

Anyone interested in purchasing a gallon of hand sanitizer for themselves or to donate to someone in need can visit http://www.WeGotYouCovid.com. On the website, hand sanitizer can be purchased for curbside pick-up or delivery.

By Angela Menninger