By Lori McLemore

Commitment to community service is a cornerstone of Boys & Girls Clubs. Groups such as Keystone and Torch Clubs promote the value of giving back, teaching youth that one person can make a difference. Now there’s another cause Clubs and Club members can rally around: fighting against the devastating disease of malaria. To further this effort, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has joined with Malaria No More, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring, engaging and motivating individuals, organizations and institutions to protect families from malaria.

Every 30 Seconds
Transmitted by mosquitoes, malaria initially can cause flu-like symptoms. If left untreated, it can induce coma, severe anemia or even death. Of the 1 to 3 million malaria-related deaths each year, 85 percent or more occur in the sub-Saharan region of Africa, and primarily affect children and pregnant women. Every 30 seconds, in fact, a child in Africa dies from this preventable disease.

Prior to the early 1950s, malaria was rampant in the Southeastern United States. Through use of the pesticide DDT, draining wetlands and better sanitation, the deadly disease was eradicated. Similar methods can be used in Africa. Education, proper medical attention, vaccines, pesticides and inexpensive bed nets can make malaria a concern of the past.

As part of its strategy, Malaria No More is asking young people to raise funds for inexpensive bed netting. For just $10, one bed net can protect an entire family for three to five years. The netting is covered with an insecticide that creates a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the majority of transmissions occur. All Boys & Girls Clubs are encouraged to participate in this life-saving initiative.

Call to Action
In December 2006, President and Mrs. Bush hosted a malaria awareness summit at the White House. African leaders, international experts, and representatives from the corporate and nonprofit arenas discussed strategies for generating awareness about malaria’s devastating impact on African children. The President and First Lady urged all summit participants to join the fight against malaria by educating their constituents and raising funds for the cause.

One of the White House invitees was BGCA President Roxanne Spillett, a member of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. Spillett was joined by members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newark, N.J., who had already begun addressing the issue by creating a malaria awareness Web page and video, making presentations to civic groups, and hosting fundraisers. By the time of the summit, Newark Club members had raised enough money to purchase 120 bed nets.

A Day On, Not a Day Off
Many Boys & Girls Clubs chose to make the fight against malaria the focus of their Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service activities on Jan. 15. Instead of taking the day off, Club members swung into action on behalf of kids and families on the other side of the world:
• In Mississippi, members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast’s Pass Christian Unit sponsored a Malaria No More Walk for Kids. With more than 50 Club members and their supporters participating, the Club raised nearly $1,000.
• Torch Club members at the John Kish Unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Henderson, Nev., hosted a bake sale, and purchased bed nets with sale proceeds.
• Their Torch Club counterparts at the Boys & Girls Club of Alton (Ill.) appealed to others’ good taste by opening a candy store at their facility. Proceeds from all of these events will be used to buy life-saving nets.

Answering the Call
In addition to the activities on MLK Day, several Torch Clubs and Keystone Clubs across the country are designating the Malaria Prevention campaign as service projects.
• In California, the Miramar Teen City Keystone Club planned a benefit to educate parents, guardians and staff about the disease, as well as raise funds for bed nets.
• The Hickam Keystone Club in Hawaii set up donation piggy banks at local community centers as well as the Club
• In Anchorage, Alaska, the North Star Keystone Club of the Boys & Girls Club of Mat-Su Valley, slated malaria prevention as the focus of its January and February service activities. The North Star Keystoners raised money by collecting spare change at five high schools, local stores and during family game night at the Club.

Global Citizens
Joining in the Malaria Prevention campaign aligns perfectly with the Boys & Girls Club Movement’s 21st century charge to influence others “beyond our walls.” It provides a wonderful opportunity to emphasize civic engagement on not just a community but a global level. It is another way of teaching youth that we are all citizens of the world.

Lori McLemore is director, marketing and Web strategy at BGCA.