Mayor Hickenlooper Declares “Nothing But Nets” Week in Denver

Denver,CO |  June 1, 2010

Calling attention to the fact that a child dies every 30 seconds from malaria, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper today declared July 1-8, 2010 “Nothing But Nets Week” in support of the UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets — a global, grassroots campaign to end malaria in Africa. 90 percent of malaria deaths occur in Africa, where for the first time, the World Cup is being played. As excitement around the World Cup mounts, the Nothing But Nets campaign, inspired by Denver’s Rick Reilly, and its country-wide “Buzz Tour” is hosting a series of events in the Denver area to raise awareness about the global goal to end malaria deaths by 2015. 

Local Boy Scouts are kicking off the week’s events with an interactive malaria-education workshop at Magness Adventure Camp. During the workshop, they will scout out new ways they can raise awareness about saving lives by ending malaria. Nothing But Nets is travelling around the city with stops at the 16th Street Mall and the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, and will wrap up the week with the help of the Colorado Rapids who will use their match on July 4th to excite fans to help kick malaria out of Africa.

“As home to UN Foundation President Senator Timothy Wirth and Nothing But Nets Champion Rick Reilly, Denver is a special place for us,” said Nothing But Nets Director Adrianna Logalbo. “Since our last visit to the city, the Denver community’s support has helped us raise over $30 million to send more than 3 million life-saving bed nets to Africa. We truly appreciate Denver’s commitment to sending nets to save lives and demonstrating how entire communities can join the movement to end malaria.”

BACKGROUND
Nothing But Nets is in Denver as part of its “Buzz Tour,” a country-wide journey in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup, which is being hosted for the first time in Africa—where 90 percent of malaria deaths occur. Nothing But Nets is Uniting Against Malaria with partners in more than 20 cities, traveling in a converted school bus, fueled by waste vegetable oil and outfitted with solar panels, to drive people to join the movement to end malaria. 

Every 30 seconds, a child dies from malaria - which is easily prevented through the use of an insecticide-treated bed net. The nets create a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the vast majority of malaria transmissions occur, and are the most cost-effective method of preventing the spread of the disease. One bed net can protect a family of four, and lasts three to five years. A net costs just $10 to purchase, deliver and educate the recipient on its proper use. 

To date, Nothing But Nets has raised close to $30 million and has distributed nearly three million nets to children, pregnant women and refugees throughout Africa.  For more information, including photos, video, and Buzz Tour schedule, log on to www.NothingButNets.net/buzztour.

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About Nothing But Nets
Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Inspired by sports columnist Rick Reilly, hundreds of thousands of people have joined the campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation in 2006.  Founding campaign partners include the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares, The people of The United Methodist Church, and Sports Illustrated. It only costs $10 to provide an insecticide-treated bed net that can prevent this deadly disease. Visit www.NothingButNets.net to send a net and save a life.