A Santa Barbara County non-profit group which holds star studded events to support the county’s first responders has announced more than $580,000 in grants.
The One 805 organization stages fundraising events like a concert on Kevin Costner’s Montecito estate which included Oprah, Prince Harry and Megan Markle, and members of the band Maroon 5.
The grants included $190,000 for a program which provides free, confidential mental health counseling for firefighters in the county.
The funding includes two water rescue jet skis, night flight goggles for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Air Support Unit, a scuba tank fill station for search and rescue teams, and software for 3D drone mapping.
And, the new One 805 grants will pay for 30 defibrillators, one for every Santa Barbara Police department patrol unit, so officers are equipped to help heart attack victims.
The group has announced plans for a spring fundraiser in the Santa Ynez Valley, as well as another major concert this fall.
