Nothing But Nets Blog

In the past couple of months of working with the Nothing But Nets campaign, I noticed that many of our supporters have held various events or requested donations in lieu of presents in honor of their Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebrations. I learned that the Hebrew word 'mitzvah' literally means 'commandment' and is understood to mean 'commanded to perform good deeds.' Considering the amount of lives saved by the funds raised through our supporters Bar and Bat Mitzvahs - good deeds have been performed, indeed! 

Recently, Nothing But Nets supporter Matthew Lawson informed the Rabbi (Rabbi Joel) at his synagogue (Congregation B'nai Jacob) that he wanted to raise money for Nothing But Nets in honor of becoming a Bar Mitzvah. They decided to hold a fundraiser for Nothing But Nets by hosting a basketball tournament including a free throw contest, 3-point contest and 3-on-3 games. The event raised more than $1200!
 

On Sunday, May 3rd, youth groups from six different United Methodist Churches gathered at St. Luke's to raise funds and awareness for Nothing But Nets.  Prior to the event, each group had a goal of collecting donations every day in April.  The youth leader from the group that raised the most money would have to appear on stage in fish nets in front of the May 3rd gathering!

The competition was stiff - in fact, so many donations were collected that the leader of each group decided to get up on stage and share in the silliness by the end of the night!

The crowd was later entertained by an improv show performance made up of members of St. Luke's UMC in Highlands Ranch. An iPod shuffle was offered up as a door prize, as well as two autographed sports items, a Colorado Avalanche Hockey Stick and a Denver Nuggets Basketball provided by Kroenke Sports; all of which raised a total of $700 for bed nets.

A dedicated Nothing But Nets supporter from the Union for Reform Judaism used her traditional Jewish coming of age celebration to raise money for anti-malarial bed nets. Naomi Keren Black, a thirteen year old girl from Australia, asked for donations to Nothing But Nets in lieu of Bat Mitzvah gifts.

To promote her efforts, Naomi created a Bat Mitzvah webpage that highlights her life and the special celebration that took place on December 27, 2008.  

The Social Action Committee at Lakeside Congregation for Reform Judaism recently hosted a free throw shootout at a local gym in Highland Park, Ill., to raise money for Nothing But Nets.  Participants ranged in ages from 7 to 67 with a strong showing by the town's high school varsity basketball team and their coach. 

The turnout was terrific and the fundraising effort resulted in nearly $1,700 in donations taken at the door. The event was a fun and great experience for all involved especially the winner of the day—Ben Levine, who shot 24 out of 25 free throws.

I recently experienced my first Nothing But Nets campaign event at the Butler-Wyatt Boys & Girls Club Washington D.C., where UNA-NCA and YPIC hosted a Nothing But Nets Basketball Clinic. Nearly 50 youth members from the clubhouse gathered to learn about one of the most important global health issues facing the world today—malaria.

The day started off with brief introductions and remarks from Nothing But Nets Deputy Director Adrianna Logalbo, encouraging participants to become leaders and create awareness about malaria within their communities.