SHINEDOWN has presented its first installment check of $230,000 from their “Atlas Falls” COVID-19 fundraiser to humanitarian aid organization Direct Relief, one of the largest providers of humanitarian medical resources in the world whose mission is to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergency situations by mobilizing and providing essential medical resources needed for their care. This follows the $20,000 that SHINEDOWN donated to kick off the fundraiser in March, bringing the total delivered to Direct Relief so far to a quarter million dollars. More than $300,000 has been raised to date and counting.
Direct Relief has been working tirelessly to provide personal protective equipment to frontline health workers responding to coronavirus (COVID-19) and essential medications and supplies for patients. This includes 10,800 shipments to more than 1,800 health care facilities across all 50 U.S. states and 62 countries, totaling more than 3.4 million masks, 2.8 million gloves, 119,000 gowns and coveralls, 600 oxygen concentrators and ventilators, as well as 40.1 million doses of medications to treat a range of chronic and acute health conditions.
Originally written in 2013, the song “Atlas Falls” was first made available from SHINEDOWN‘s vault in March as part of an exclusive song and t-shirt bundle for the band‘s COVID-19 fundraising effort with all proceeds going to Direct Relief. Following an overwhelming response to the song, its reassuring message of optimism and faith in humanity spread even further upon its global release in May. Drawing inspiration from the Greek myth of titan Atlas who carries a celestial sphere on his shoulders, “Atlas Falls” offers a reminder that if Atlas falls, we will hold each other up in times of strife and stand tall together. The “Atlas Falls” t-shirt is still available with 100% of proceeds continuing to go to Direct Relief.
“Atlas Falls” recently gave SHINEDOWN the record for the most No. 1s ever in the nearly 40-year history of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart, scoring their 16th No. 1. The song also marked the band’s 17th No. 1 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart and their sixth consecutive No. 1, following “How Did You Love”, “Devil”, “Get Up”, “Monsters” and “Attention Attention”.
