Nothing But Nets

When it comes down to it, some kids just know how to throw a party.

Just ask Henry Leue. He recently came across the Nothing But Nets blog about ten year-old Naomi Kodama turning her birthday party into a chance to help others. She threw a party where her guests were able to donate money for life-saving bed nets.
After reading Naomi’s blog, Henry was inspired to use his tenth birthday for good, too. Instead of hosting the small party with family and friends that his mother had intended, Henry turned his birthday gathering into an event to support JCI’s fund-raising efforts for the Nothing But Nets campaign!

When I woke up April 25th, 2008, I did three things: I stretched, yawned and thought to myself, it’s World Malaria Day! As an intern for the Nothing But Nets campaign, World Malaria Day is a big deal to me. I was excited to head over to American University, where my colleague Kate Kovarovic, AU Professor Gemma Puglisi and a senior PR Portfolio class had developed an amazing project to raise awareness for Nothing But Nets.

The Most Reverend George J. Rassas, Vicar for Vicariate I in the Archdiocese of Chicago, recently presented teens from The St. Anne Catholic Community in Barrington, Illinois with the Youth Leadership Award for their involvement in the Nothing But Nets campaign.

The teens launched the Nothing But Nets campaign in their community by presenting the devastating effects of malaria and the life-saving solutions to an audience of several thousand people. In the following months, the community responded by generously contributing to the Campaign. The presentation included a skit with children dressed like mosquitoes, volunteers sleeping under a bed net, and a resounding challenge to the audience to take part in the Nothing But Nets Campaign!

For World Malaria Day, a group of UMC members thought they would show their support for Nothing But Nets by biking for 238 miles! The group started the four-day bike ride in Montgomery, TX and concluded in Ft. Worth, TX. View the map of their ride! Several churches along the route opened their doors to cyclists, providing them with food and a place to sleep. The ride ended on April 23rd, marking the first day of General Conference, a gathering of United Methodists from all over the world.

The bikers originally set a fund-raising goal of $100,000.  After nearly 240 miles, hundreds of individuals contacted for donations, and untold man hours of effort, the Nothing But Sweat bike riders raised $156,144.00!  Check out the Nothing But Sweat blog if you’d like to see more pictures from the event, and congratulations to everyone!