Coronavirus health care workers get free gas donated by local realtor
Real estate business owner shells out nearly $6,000 in free gas for essential workers
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This Newark, New Jersey native is helping fuel essential workers treating coronavirus patients around the clock.
Brendan Da Silva, 25, who runs the New Jersey-based real estate company The Da Silva Team, shelled out just under $6,000 of his own money to give free gas to doctors, nurses, police officers and anyone working at a health care facility on Easter Sunday.
Brendan Da Silva donated thousands of dollars in free gas to essential health care workers and police officers in Newark, New Jersey Sunday. (Dean Luis Chuqui)
"We have so many clients who work at local hospitals who were telling me horror stories not only about the patients who are suffering but the mental exhaustion and emotional terminal of working during this pandemic. We wanted to help," Da Silva told FOX Business Monday.
The millennial entrepreneur was inspired to pay for health care workers' fuel after reading about a small business owner from Detroit who gave $900 in gas away to doctors, nurses and other health care workers.
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"I said, 'that's a great idea.' It's so simple."
Da Silva sent out an email blast last Wednesday to around 7,000 of his real estate clients to spread the word about his plan to donate free gas to essential workers and advertised the date and time on his social media pages via Instagram and Facebook.
Days later on Easter Sunday, hundreds of vehicles waited in line on Sunday at Akar IV gas station in Newark, New Jersey.
Hundreds of cars with essential workers waited in line for free gas Sunday in Newark. (Dean Luis Chuqui)
"People were waiting for up to two hours. We saw doctors, housekeeping staff, cops, everyone came out," Da Silva said of running the free service from noon until 5 p.m.
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"People showed a lot of love," Da Silva said, of receiving an influx of thank you messages on Facebook.
Da Silva funded the effort on his own and hopes to partner with ExxonMobil to potentially keep the movement going.
ExxonMobil did not immediately return a FOX Business request for comment.