Nothing But Nets

Hundreds of people around the world are hosting NETS Challenges to raise money and awareness in commemoration of World Malaria Day, today, April 25. Our new NETS Challenge map has the towns marked where our Challenge Hosts are having their parties. If you're not the map yet, email us! And if you see yourself already, update your information with us so everyone can see the fun way you're sending nets and saving lives. 

The Nothing But Nets team is at MTV studios right now and training a group of college students for tomorrow morning’s World Malaria Day street team activity. Victoria Baxter and Adrianna Logalbo are telling the background of Nothing But Nets and what malaria is all about—and most important—how these young people can help.

First and foremost it’s about spreading the word about malaria and why its such an important global issue. Then the question is, how can we solve this problem? What impact can we make as individuals and then as a group?

The students—mostly from Columbia and NYU—are interested and curious, which is just what we need for this campaign.

Next up—making posters and solidifying messaging for the early shows, and a little later, an appearance from Rick Reilly!

The street training went really well today. Everyone came up with some awesome signs for tomorrow's early escapades thanks to the help of Rick Reilly, the mosquito and some hearty sustinence--a lot of pizza. Now we're rockin' at the MTV reception with Nothing But Nets partners, their guests, and of course the mosquito!

Get excited- tomorrow is World Malaria Day! 

In Columbus, OH, home of the Buckeye, The Wellington School (K-12) recently started a team for the Nothing But Nets campaign to raise funds for bed nets for people in Africa. Our goal is to get 200 people to donate - raising a total of $2000 for bed nets. If half of the students in our school spend the $10 that they would usually spend on a Friday night movie to instead send a net, then we would easily reach our goal of 400 nets!
 
As students, almost all of us with younger siblings, and absolutely all of us with mothers, we share a connection with the 3,000 children and pregnant mothers who die each day from malaria.  Every minute two people die from the disease.  This means that in the time that it takes us to go through a 42 minute class period, more than 84 children and pregnant mothers total have died from malaria.  Students at The Wellington School are dedicating to making a difference in this truth and saving lives from malaria! 

The "Georgetown Hoyas: Operation Bug Off!" Netraiser Team's events around campus and Georgetown are in full swing now!  Let your inner Jordan shine at their 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament on Saturday, April 19th at noon.  The tournament, with registration fees going towards purchasing long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets to help prevent malaria, will take place at Yates Field House.  The first 75 people to register get free Nothing But Nets T-shirts and winners will be rewarded with gift certificates to Saxby's, the Tombs, and Dixie Liquors.  To find out more and to register, pick up a form at the front desk of Yates or register online at:
http://nbngeorgetown.googlepages.com/nbn. 

When Cady McDaniel, a third grade student in Chesterton, Indiana, found out that a child dies from malaria every 30 seconds, she wanted to know what she could do to solve the problem.  After she found Nothing But Nets, she immediately created her online Netraiser Team, and she has raised more than $1,000 in less than three weeks!  Her goal is to raise at least $1,500 by World Malaria Day on April 25, 2008.
 
For her school's Young Author's assignment, Cady wrote a book about the Nothing But Nets campaign, and, in her book, she let the other students know that the $10 dollar cost of a bed net is equal to the price of 1 L'il Webkinz or 3 packs of trading cards or 10 Hot Wheels. She encouraged her classmates to donate their allowances to Nothing But Nets instead of buying toys this month. 

On Monday, April 14th, Georgetown students would like to invite members of the DC community to join together, raise their glasses high, and toast to the health of those in Africa!  The "Georgetown Hoyas: Operation Bug Off!" Netraiser Team will be hosting a bar night fund-raiser for those who are 21+ at Rhino Bar & Pumphouse from 8:00PM - 11:00PM.  Proceeds will be used to fund the purchase of bed nets!

The bar night is one of many events planned that lead up to World Malaria Day and the symposium held at Georgetown's Gaston Hall.  Past events include a 5K race, Trivia Night, and Domino's Dough Raising Night which have brought in several hundred dollars!  In addition to raising money to send nets and save lives, the Georgetown team hopes to get their fellow students, the faculty, and the community involved in the prevention of a disease that affects hundreds of millions of people each year.  We hope you can join us for the bar night.  Cheers! 

Woody Lynch, President of Reverend Marvin’s Gourmet BBQ Sauce, raised money for nets at a recent BBQ competition in Myrtle Beach, SC. Reverend Marvin’s has pledged to donate $1 per bottle sold to Nothing But Nets! In the course of several hours at the BBQ competition, Lynch sold 200 bottles of sauce.

“We want to emphasize that this is just the beginning of our efforts with Nothing But Nets,” Lynch stated, “from now on, for every bottle of Reverend Marvin’s Gourmet BBQ Sauce that is sold through our web site, we will donate $1 to this great cause. The prospect of knowing when we ship out an order of our sauce that we just helped save the life of a child is overwhelming. We’re honored to be a small part of Nothing But Nets.” For more information on Reverend Marvin's, click here.