Today, the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign announced a new Champion in the fight against malaria. Professional soccer player Mix Diskerud has joined the campaign, committing to donate 20 life-saving anti-malaria bed nets for every goal he makes during the Major League Soccer regular season and during U.S. Men’s National Team games. In addition, he’ll donate 10 nets for every assist and $5 for each hat sold from his online company, MixLids.
Every two minutes, a child dies from malaria. Nothing But Nets works closely with its UN partners across sub-Saharan Africa to ensure vulnerable populations including children, refugees, and families displaced by conflict are protected from this deadly disease.
“Soccer is all about finding the back of the net, but there are nets in another part of the world that mean the difference between life and death,” said Diskerud. “I’m proud to team up with Nothing But Nets to protect families from malaria.”
Diskerud joins a team of professional and Olympic athletes who all support the Nothing But Nets campaign, raising awareness and funds to help fight malaria. He first learned of the campaign through its partnership with Athletes for Hope, a nonprofit organization that inspires, educates, and connects athletes to charitable causes throughout the world. MLS WORKS, Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative, is a founding partner of Nothing But Nets, and encourages players, teams, and fans to get involved.
“Sports are part of our campaign’s DNA, and they are how so many of our supporters connect with our mission of fighting malaria,” said Margaret Reilly McDonnell, Director of Nothing But Nets. “As part of our family of athlete Champions, Mix Diskerud will advocate and raise awareness to help us protect those most vulnerable to this preventable disease.”
Today, there are more than 50 million refugees and families displaced by violence around the world – and 60 percent of them live in areas where malaria is transmitted. Malaria is a major threat to refugees – it is a leading cause of illness and death in many African countries, including those where Nothing But Nets and its UN partners work. Last year, the campaign launched The Million Nets Pledge to protect refugee families from malaria with one million nets by 2016. This ambitious two-year goal aims to raise $10 million to protect vulnerable people fleeing violence, particularly in Central Africa.
Now in its tenth year, the Nothing But Nets campaign boasts hundreds of thousands of supporters – from students to athletes to entertainers – who all help to protect families on another continent from the threat of malaria. Fans can get involved to help Mix and Nothing But Nets in the fight against this deadly disease. Visit NothingButNets.net/Mix to send a net and help save a live, or MixLids.com to purchase a hat.
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Contact
Rachel Henderson
Communications Manager, Nothing But Nets
rhenderson@unfoundation.org
D: 202.739.2782
About Nothing But Nets
Now in its tenth year, Nothing But Nets is a global campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a disease which claims the life of a child every two minutes. 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. Nothing But Nets has raised $60 million to help deliver nearly ten million bed nets to families in need, along with other crucial malaria interventions. In addition to raising funds for its UN partners, Nothing But Nets raises awareness and voices to advocate for critical malaria funding for the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It only costs $10 to help save lives from this deadly disease. Visit www.NothingButNets.net to defeat malaria.
About The United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by philanthropic, corporate, government, and individual donors. Learn more at: www.unfoundation.org.
About Athletes for Hope
Athletes for Hope (www.athletesforhope.org) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2007 by philanthropically-minded athletes such as Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Mia Hamm, Jeff Gordon, Warrick Dunn, Alonzo Mourning, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. As athletes who share a deep commitment to giving back, our founders joined forces to create an organization that brings athletes together, to educate, inspire, and empower them to channel their energy for a common goal: to make a difference in the world. AFH now works with over 3,000 athletes across 25 different sports and has conducted philanthropic education workshops for numerous leagues, teams, and associations, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, NWSL, Olympic Teams and ATP, WTA, and LPGA Tours. Follow Athletes for Hope on Twitter @Ath4Hope.
© NOTHING BUT NETS 2017 • SAVE LIVES. DEFEAT MALARIA
A campaign of the 
