Spread the Net
Encyclopedia
Working in collaboration with UNICEF Canada, Spread the Net is a charity organization intent on reducing malaria
in the African nations of Liberia
and Rwanda
. Co-founded by Rick Mercer
, a Canadian satirist
, and Belinda Stronach
, a former Canadian Member of Parliament
and
philanthropist
, Spread the Net has pledged to send 500,000 insecticide-treated bed nets to Liberia and Rwanda. The campaign has donated 502 thousand nets since its founding, reaching its original goal, but continues fund-raising, with there still being a need.
and Belinda Stronach
traveled to Africa along with Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs
, director of the UN Millennium Project, in preparation to co-host the Millennium Promise Convention in Montreal on November 9, 2006. At the convention, Mercer and Stronach, along with Jeffrey Sachs and Nigel Fisher, President and CEO of UNICEF Canada, announced their intention to begin the Spread the Net campaign, and raise $5 million for insecticide treated bed nets to be given to children and pregnant women in Liberia and Rwanda.One X One
founder Joey Adler and Millennium Promise Conference founder Daniel Germain each gave $150,000 to the campaign at the conference.
The first order for 33,000 bed nets was made on March 28, 2007.
Between 2007 and 2008 over 250 schools participated raising $300,000. Dalhousie University won the challenge by raising $19,000 For 2009, Schools across Canada raised $650,000, with John F. Ross C.V.I winning with $57,000.
In 2011, $102,641.93 was raised, with Espanola High School
and UNBC
raising $13,307 and $18,710 respectively.
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
in the African nations of Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
and Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
. Co-founded by Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...
, a Canadian satirist
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
, and Belinda Stronach
Belinda Stronach
Belinda Caroline Stronach, PC is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the floor to join the Liberals...
, a former Canadian Member of Parliament
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
and
philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
, Spread the Net has pledged to send 500,000 insecticide-treated bed nets to Liberia and Rwanda. The campaign has donated 502 thousand nets since its founding, reaching its original goal, but continues fund-raising, with there still being a need.
History
In 2005, Rick MercerRick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...
and Belinda Stronach
Belinda Stronach
Belinda Caroline Stronach, PC is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the floor to join the Liberals...
traveled to Africa along with Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs
Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey David Sachs is an American economist and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. One of the youngest economics professors in the history of Harvard University, Sachs became known for his role as an adviser to Eastern European and developing country governments in the...
, director of the UN Millennium Project, in preparation to co-host the Millennium Promise Convention in Montreal on November 9, 2006. At the convention, Mercer and Stronach, along with Jeffrey Sachs and Nigel Fisher, President and CEO of UNICEF Canada, announced their intention to begin the Spread the Net campaign, and raise $5 million for insecticide treated bed nets to be given to children and pregnant women in Liberia and Rwanda.One X One
ONEXONE
ONEXONE is a non-profit initiative based in Canada and the United States with the mission to preserve a basic quality of life for children locally and globally: because Hope Belongs to Everyone.- Operations :...
founder Joey Adler and Millennium Promise Conference founder Daniel Germain each gave $150,000 to the campaign at the conference.
The first order for 33,000 bed nets was made on March 28, 2007.
Student Challenge
In 2007, Spread the Net started fund raising in Canadian Schools. Every year, a competition is presented to schools across Canada, and the school that raises the most to donate would be visited by Rick Mercer.Between 2007 and 2008 over 250 schools participated raising $300,000. Dalhousie University won the challenge by raising $19,000 For 2009, Schools across Canada raised $650,000, with John F. Ross C.V.I winning with $57,000.
In 2011, $102,641.93 was raised, with Espanola High School
Espanola High School (Espanola, Ontario)
Espanola High School is located in the town of Espanola, Ontario, approximately 70 km from downtown Greater Sudbury. The school features the Domtar computer lab, and a podcast radio station studio Charlene Camillo who attended Espanola High School won the Lieutenant-Governor’s Community...
and UNBC
University of Northern British Columbia
The University of Northern British Columbia is a small, primarily undergraduate university whose main campus is in Prince George, British Columbia. UNBC also has regional campuses in the northern British Columbia cities of Prince Rupert, Terrace, Quesnel, and Fort St. John...
raising $13,307 and $18,710 respectively.
See also
- UN Millennium Project
- UNICEF
- Jeffrey SachsJeffrey SachsJeffrey David Sachs is an American economist and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. One of the youngest economics professors in the history of Harvard University, Sachs became known for his role as an adviser to Eastern European and developing country governments in the...
- Nothing But NetsNothing But NetsNothing But Nets is a charitable organization, supported by the United Nations Foundation, which aims to prevent African children from dying of malaria by purchasing, distributing and teaching the proper use of mosquito bed nets.-Background:...
- Millennium PromiseMillennium PromiseMillennium Promise, or The Millennium Promise Alliance, Inc., is a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware, dedicated to ending extreme poverty within our lifetime...
- Malaria No MoreMalaria No MoreMalaria No More is a nonprofit organization that aims to end death caused by malaria in Africa by 2015. Malaria No More is known for its participation in the Idol Gives Back charity specials.- History :...