Why I donated my 9th birthday to Nothing But Nets

For my 9th birthday, I decided that I already had all that I needed – I didn’t need any more presents. After all, I have learned that what you need is very different from what you want. Believe it or not, my younger sister taught me that. For the past two years, I have helped my older sister serve meals and lemonade to Habitat for Humanity workers and gather donations for the San Antonio Food Bank. But, I have not helped do something so simple that it could save a child’s life - a child like me!

I know firsthand what being bitten by many, many mosquitoes feels like. I have travelled to a Caribbean Island where mosquitoes are everywhere. I remember that we had to keep the screens shut at night and spray down with bug spray every day. Having experienced this, I thought everyone should be able to have a net to keep those nasty insects away. Rather than get more things/toys for my birthday, I requested that my friends give me $10 checks (or as much as they wanted) so I could help buy nets to keep mosquitoes from biting children and adults.

I still love gathering cans of food for the food bank and feeding people as no one should be hungry. But, no one should die from mosquito bites either. I think everyone should have a cause they believe in and can relate to which is why I picked Nothing But Nets. My dream is to meet some of the people I helped some day. Who knows, maybe I can actually deliver some of the nets myself some day. That would be cool!

Jack raised a total of $460 so that we can deliver 46 nets to families who need them. Thank you Jack!