For the last week or so, I have been working around the clock to help Direct Relief, a leading worldwide medical relief organization, promote the fact that it received the CECP Directors’ Award for Corporate Humanitarian Collaboration with FedEx.

CECP stands for the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy. It was founded by the late actor Paul Newman and a group of cooperate executives in 1999. CECP is now a coalition of 150 CEOs that unite to encourage American businesses to be involved in worthwhile causes.

HWH PR’s Jason Henriques and David Nieves, worked tirelessly to help me secure editorial coverage on Bloomberg TV and then Businessweek. Click here to see the results. We were able to reach thousands of members of the media via email, Facebook, Twitter, texting, and phone calls. Thanks guys. I also want to thank Stephen Adler of Charity Brands, for recommending HWH PR to Direct Relief.

Thomas Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief.

Here is part of the press release that was issued to mark the occasion.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., May 20, 2014 – CECP today presented its 2014 Directors’ Award to humanitarian aid organization Direct Relief at the annual CECP Summit in New York City for its collaboration with FedEx to help tens of millions of people in need in the U.S. and around the world access life-saving medicines and supplies.

The Directors’ Award honors an exemplary partnership between a company and a nonprofit in combating a critical societal issue. Of the more than 1.4 million charities in the United States, Direct Relief is the single nonprofit to be recognized with the CECP Directors’ Award in 2014.

Since 1993, Direct Relief and FedEx have worked together, both during emergencies and on an ongoing basis, to equip healthcare providers throughout the U.S. and around the world with critically needed medicines and supplies so that they are able to provide these resources to people who would otherwise be unable to afford or access them.

“FedEx is a force multiplier in Direct Relief’s humanitarian efforts and has brought amazing scale, efficiency, and precision to helping people in poverty or affected by disasters get the critical help they need,” said Thomas Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief.

In the U.S. alone, more than 10 million people have received over $400 million in needed medications – all delivered by FedEx. In November 2013, FedEx provided Direct Relief an emergency airlift of medical supplies to care for 250,000 people affected by the typhoon in the Philippines.

“This is a powerful example of the essential, lifesaving activity that simply could not happen without this type of collaboration,” said Tighe of the Philippines airlift. “Although a strong case for a profitable business simply does not exist in every situation where a compelling human case does, businesses insight, tools, and skills are equally applicable to address many of the inherent challenges involved, which are essentially the same.”

Corporate participation in disaster relief efforts has been increasingly important to the business bottom line, as employees and customers look to companies – not just governments or aid organizations – to provide critical relief assistance. Many companies are moved to participate in humanitarian efforts because they have seen the staggering losses inflicted when disasters destroy communities and interrupt the flow of business. Working to alleviate the economic impact of such disruptions makes good sense for society and business.