Nothing But Nets

Dozens of people have already signed up to Sleep Out to End Malaria on April 24, World Malaria Day Eve. Join this team  of caring individuals leading the charge to show world leaders they are committed to saving lives from malaria.

Join the movement: Sign up to Sleep Out to End Malaria on April 24, 2010.

Why World Malaria Day? April 25 is a time of year when millions of people around the world join together to show their commitment to ending malaria deaths by 2015. This NET-work includes governments, countries, celebrities, non-profits, companies, and people like YOU. 

While Houston-area boy scouts celebrated the Boy Scouts of America’s 100th Anniversary with their “An Adventure of a Lifetime” event at Minute Maid Park a couple weeks ago, they also learned that they have the power to be leaders in a life-saving adventure: helping to end malaria deaths.

Nothing But Nets joined the event by quizzing scouts’ knowledge of malaria through trivia questions. I was completely impressed! It was inspiring to meet young leaders that are aware of the impacts of malaria and determined to make a difference in their own communities. Many scouts are learning about Malaria 101 with their troops. Others are performing skits to their peers in their schools and communities to spread the buzz and the opportunity to send nets and save lives. Keep up the great work in Houston!

Last night I attended a screening at American University of a new documentary film, “When the Night Comes.” Directed by Bobby Bailey (who you may know through his work with Invisible Children), the film follows Bobby and two friends as they learn about malaria when traveling through northern Uganda meeting mothers, youth, health workers, and children who are all affected by this disease. The film is incredibly compelling –  funny at times and tragic at others – but most importantly I walked away feeling inspired and hopeful that we can come together and work to end malaria deaths by 2015.

“When the Night Comes” will soon be available on the Nothing But Nets Store, but you can watch the film trailer at www.WhenTheNightComes.com.

Co-authored by Andrea Gough

What do NBA legend Scottie Pippen, actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse (aka McLovin from Superbad) and the Dallas community have in common?  They all saved a life at All-Star!

Fans from across the country came out to “Sink a Net. Save a Life.” during NBA All-Star weekend. Nothing But Nets’ founding partner, NBA Cares, donated $10 to send a life-saving bed net for every shot made on our hoop at Jam Session. It may be that love was in the air because of Valentine’s Day, or it may be that our awesome supporters are also great athletes, but basketball fans wore their hearts on their sleeves and sank 2,500 life-saving shots! Now that’s what we call being an All-Star!

Check out some of our footage on Flickr.

World Malaria Day, April 25, is just two short months away! This is a day when everyone around the world shows their commitment to eradicating malaria, and this year is no different.

We have a goal to end malaria deaths by 2015. To achieve this goal, we need to show world leaders that there is a large group of Americans committed to stopping malaria in Africa. We think world leaders will pay attention if we come together for one night to show the strength of our community.

That’s why we need you, your friends, family, and neighbors to Sleep Out to End Malaria on the eve of World Malaria Day – April 24, 2010. Let’s show families in Africa and world leaders that they’re not alone in the fight against malaria. You’ve already been sending nets and saving lives; now it’s time to join the movement and unite with thousands of others to Sleep Out to End Malaria, on April 24, 2010, World Malaria Day Eve.

It might come as little surprise to you that many mosquitoes roam the Nile Valley.  They also did so 3,000 years ago, and experts think they even killed one of the most powerful figures in Egyptian history: Tutankhamen, aka King Tut. A recent DNA-based study points to malaria as the probable cause of death for the nineteen year-old pharaoh.

This is a reminder that malaria, one of the deadliest diseases in human history, is also one of the oldest. Some experts claim that it even predates humanity! 

There's something big coming to the Lone-Star State from February 11-14 … it involves tall athletes, revolves around nets, and creates a lot of buzz wherever it goes…

Well, make that two big things: Nothing But Nets and NBA All-Star 2010!

Exactly two years ago, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and Dallas City Council Member Angela Hunt declared February 4-10, 2008 Nothing But Nets Week, and many of you helped us spread the buzz around town to send nets to save lives in Africa. This year, we’re excited to come back to Dallas to join NBA Cares, one of our founding partners, at NBA All-Star’s Jam Session.

From Thursday through Saturday, Nothing But Nets will be at NBA All-Star Jam Session at the Dallas Convention Center, and we’d love to see you if you’re in the area! Everyone who stops by our booth will have a chance to join NBA players in saving lives — and it couldn’t be easier: Sink a Net. Save a Life. For every NBA fan — from preteens to pros — who sinks a net on our Nothing But Nets basketball hoop during the All-Star Jam Session, NBA Cares will donate $10 to send a life-saving net to Africa!

If you can’t make it, follow us on Twitter @NothingButNets or on Facebook for live updates, and tell your friends!

This weekend is all about fun, friends and basketball — the chance to save a life only makes it better. Remember, long-lasting, insecticide-treated nets are the best Defense! Defense! Defense!

Hope to see you there! 

Earlier this week Bill Gates posted his second Annual Letter on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation website. In it, he talks about the importance of innovation across a spectrum of issue areas – including malaria. He writes:

“Two years ago, Melinda and I challenged the health field to set a goal of eventually eradicating malaria. Because it is such a widespread disease, the foundation has backed a number of different types of innovations. In 2005 we helped fund a medium-risk pilot project in Zambia to test having most people in an area sleep under insecticide-treated bed nets and spray the inside of their house with insecticides. These interventions have proven to reduce malaria substantially, and other partners have now taken the lead on the large-scale delivery of these interventions.”

Now comes the shout out! That’s right…Bill Gates recognizes the impact that YOU are having by raising funds for life-saving bed nets:

“There has been a dramatic increase in bed net usage thanks to donations from individuals (some through church organizations and Nothing But Nets), the Global Fund, and rich governments.”

You can read the rest of Bill Gates’ Annual Letter here.