Young Fund-Raiser Scores $50K for Mosquito Nets

United Methodist Communications
Office of Public Information

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 2008

Contact: Diane Denton
(615) 742-5406 (office)
(615) 483-1765 (cell)

Young Fund-Raiser Scores $50K for Mosquito Nets

Downingtown, Pa.:If someone asked seven-year old Katherine Commale what she did on her summer vacation, her answer would have to be "a lot!" But Katherine hasn't just been swimming at the pool and playing with her brother Joseph.

One of The United Methodist Church's youngest "netraisers" has now raised more than $50,000 for Nothing But Nets, a campaign to prevent malaria through the purchase and distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

Lynda Commale says daughter Katherine was nonchalant about reaching the $50,000 milestone."But Mom, we're not done yet.We still have a long way to go," she said.

Katherine got a little help with her fundraising when her story was featured in a June article in the New York Timesabout how young people have gotten involved in Nothing But Nets.In the two weeks following, she received over 600 e-mails-from as far away as France and Switzerland.

The publicity kept Katherine busy producing homemade bed net gift certificates. The "net" result:about $10,000, or enough to send 1,000 nets to children in Africa.

Katherine's bed net gift certificates have now been adopted by Mission Possible Kids, a non-profit organization that empowers kids to change the world by helping others. That means that bed net gift certificates will now be produced by children all over the country.

Mom and daughter have also been busy making presentations at a number of local churches, using displays of bed nets, skits and other activities to educate others about the dangers of malaria and how bed nets save lives.They have even been invited to churches in Texas and Connecticut.

Katherine and Nothing But Nets will be featured in the cover story of the Christmas edition of Good Play, a magazine published by Macy's and FAO Schwarz. "We are really praying hard that this opportunity will send many, many more nets to African families in need," said Lynda Commale.

An insecticide-treated mosquito net is a simple and cost-effective way to prevent malaria transmission. One net can protect an entire family from malaria for about four years for only $10. For more information, visit www.umc.org/nets or www.NothingButNets.net.

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, tens 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 costs just $10 to provide a long-lasting insecticide-treated bed net to prevent this deadly disease. Visit www.NothingButNets.netto send a net and save a life.