Help Spread the (mosquito) Net
To many Canadians, mosquitoes
are a seasonal nuisance. But to the
rest of the world, which faces
between 350 and 500 million cases
of malaria every year, they're more
than just annoying — they're lifethreatening.
Many mosquitoes carry malaria, which is a treatable disease that causes fever, chills and pain. Most malaria cases happen in sub- Saharan Africa, where it is the most common cause of death among African children under five years old. More than one million children die every year from the disease.
On a 2005 trip to Africa, former Member of Parliament and businesswoman Belinda Stronach and Canadian comedian and pundit Rick Mercer, along with economist Jeffrey Sachs, realized the importance of bed nets to impoverished families in preventing malaria. Stronach, as part of her charitable foundation, and Mercer founded Spread the Net in 2005 and have been getting high school, college and university students involved from the beginning.
Spread the Net aims to provide insecticide-treated bed nets to families. These nets are affordable and prevent up to 50 per cent of malaria transmission and deaths of children by 20 per cent.
Kelly Stevenson, coordinator of programs and communications at the Belinda Stronach Foundation, had a first-hand experience in how a simple net can help.
Before joining the foundation, she went to Cameroon for four months while working with a disability and rehabilitation organization. There she noticed how the nets were a basic necessity. "As I traveled back and forth from the South to the North of Cameroon, I saw the majority of families using bed nets," she said. "They're a tangible, simple solution that families have positively contributed from."
Students now have a chance to provide families with these muchneeded nets through the Spread the Net contest. It started on September 21, 2010 and is going until February 28, 2011. Students are encouraged to start their own fundraising group and help contribute to this year's goal of 7,000 nets or $70,000.
The campaign reached its fundraising goal of 500,000 nets this past April and are viewing this year's target as "realistic, something students can achieve."
Students can fundraise in many different ways from hosting dances, concerts, sports tournaments, bake sales, cooking classes and more. Last year, Simon Fraser University raised the most money with $16,016.03, while the University of Ottawa came in second with $5,739.20.
The prize to the winning school is a visit from Rick Mercer, which is filmed to appear on The Rick Mercer Report.
Those interested in getting involved can visit www.spreadthenet.org, or find the contest on Facebook or Twitter. Groups who sign up should speak with their college's management before starting any fundraising to make sure everyone's on the same page, said Stevenson.
Many mosquitoes carry malaria, which is a treatable disease that causes fever, chills and pain. Most malaria cases happen in sub- Saharan Africa, where it is the most common cause of death among African children under five years old. More than one million children die every year from the disease.
On a 2005 trip to Africa, former Member of Parliament and businesswoman Belinda Stronach and Canadian comedian and pundit Rick Mercer, along with economist Jeffrey Sachs, realized the importance of bed nets to impoverished families in preventing malaria. Stronach, as part of her charitable foundation, and Mercer founded Spread the Net in 2005 and have been getting high school, college and university students involved from the beginning.
Spread the Net aims to provide insecticide-treated bed nets to families. These nets are affordable and prevent up to 50 per cent of malaria transmission and deaths of children by 20 per cent.
Kelly Stevenson, coordinator of programs and communications at the Belinda Stronach Foundation, had a first-hand experience in how a simple net can help.
Before joining the foundation, she went to Cameroon for four months while working with a disability and rehabilitation organization. There she noticed how the nets were a basic necessity. "As I traveled back and forth from the South to the North of Cameroon, I saw the majority of families using bed nets," she said. "They're a tangible, simple solution that families have positively contributed from."
Students now have a chance to provide families with these muchneeded nets through the Spread the Net contest. It started on September 21, 2010 and is going until February 28, 2011. Students are encouraged to start their own fundraising group and help contribute to this year's goal of 7,000 nets or $70,000.
The campaign reached its fundraising goal of 500,000 nets this past April and are viewing this year's target as "realistic, something students can achieve."
Students can fundraise in many different ways from hosting dances, concerts, sports tournaments, bake sales, cooking classes and more. Last year, Simon Fraser University raised the most money with $16,016.03, while the University of Ottawa came in second with $5,739.20.
The prize to the winning school is a visit from Rick Mercer, which is filmed to appear on The Rick Mercer Report.
Those interested in getting involved can visit www.spreadthenet.org, or find the contest on Facebook or Twitter. Groups who sign up should speak with their college's management before starting any fundraising to make sure everyone's on the same page, said Stevenson.
