Veto the 'Squito Fundraiser/Awareness Night

Host:	Mishka Vertin, Moira Reilly, Jody Myrum and Alexandra Knezo
Location:	The Parlour - lower level 86th St. and Broadway, New York, NY View Map
When:	Thursday, April 19, 8:00pm
Each year, over one million people die of Malaria. Seventy-five percent of those deaths are African children. This disease is 100% preventable, yet children continue to die because they don't have the funding to purchase a simple $10 insecticide treated bednet that can save up to three children for five years. Please join us for a night of networking, socializing, eating, and drinking while we raise money to donate bednets (www.malarianomore.org) to African children and write letters to our congressional leaders urging for greater malaria prevention funding. Come to The Parlour Thursday, April 19, 2007 where a donation of just $10 gets you free appetizers, happy hour drink specials, and that warm fuzzy feeling sure to last longer than the party (but maybe not quite as long as the protective nets)! We will also be holding a raffle, with restaurant gift certificates, movie tickets, and more! Tickets will be sold at Columbia University School of Social Work building 2nd floor on April 17-19, as well as at the door. Please email Mishka at msv2109@columbia.edu or Moira at mkr2111@columbia.edu to rsvp or to receive to evite.

Malaria Facts

• A CHILD DIES FROM MALARIA EVERY 30 SECONDS.

• Between 1 and 3 million people, most of them children, die each year from malaria.
• Malaria is one of the most deadly and prevalent diseases in Sub-Sahara Africa, and it is the most preventable and treatable
• An insecticide treated bednet can last for five years
• 2 to 3 people can sleep under each bednet and having an insecticide treated bednet in a room is repelling enough to mosquitoes that others sleeping outside the net are also protected

For more information, Please go to:

http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/education/articles/view/43

What is Project Bednet?

Project Bednet was started by two Columbia University School of Social Work first year students, Mishka Vertin and Moira Reilly. They went to hear a brown bag talk by the director of the Earth Institute, Jeffrey Sachs at SIPA and were moved by his account of the unnecessary deaths in Africa due malaria. They were both disturbed by the numbers of people that die from this disease and that the way to prevent it is fairly simple. (see Malaria facts in next post) He outlined three things to do to fight the preventable disease. In order for prevention to take place, awareness of this problem needs to be raised.

Both Mishka and Moira were given an assignment for their Advocacy class to advocate for a cause they felt strongly about. Moira and Mishka decided to scrap the projects they had originally decided upon and combine their efforts to raise awareness of the problem of malaria and to send bednets help control malaria in Africa.

After researching different organizations that provide bednets, we decided on Malaria No More. This was because $10 will buy not just a bednet, but the cost includes the purchase, distribution and education as well as monitoring and evaluation by staff from UNICEF and The American Red Cross. This is also the organization the Earth Institute has partnered with.

Project Bednet is the Advocacy project of two CUSSW students. We will present in class the results of our efforts. These efforts include a fundraising party on April 19, 2007 8-12pm at The Parlour on 86th Street at Broadway. We will provide information to raise awareness of this devastating disease and also have an opportunity for people to write letters to our congressional leaders urging greater malaria prevention funding.

We hope you can join us for a night of networking, socializing, eating free food, and drinking happy hour priced drink specials!