REAL SALT LAKE TEAMS UP WITH MLS
W.O.R.K.S. ANDNOTHING BUT NETS CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT MALARIA
2009 MLS Cup Champions to Host Malaria
Awareness Soccer Clinic at Washington Monument Thursday as part of White House
Community Service Event
SANDY, Utah (Thursday, June 3, 2010) –Real Salt Lake and the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign are teaming up to raise awareness about malaria. Before the reigning MLS Cup championship side meets with President Obama on Friday, the club participated in a workshop at the iconic Washington Monument to engage D.C.-area children in the global fight against malaria—a preventable and treatable disease that continues to kill nearly 1 million people each year.
In
support of President Obama’s United We Serve campaign, MLS W.O.R.K.S.,
Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative, created the MLS
W.O.R.K.S. Community Service Program - a collaborative effort to combine
sport and service, promote goodwill within MLS markets, and improve lives and
communities at the grassroots level. Real Salt Lake’s participation in
today’s workshop will highlight some of the important community service work
the club has undertaken in connection with the global issue of malaria leading
up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Real
Salt Lake was well represented at today’s event, with Founder and Co-owner Dave
Checketts, Head Coach Jason Kreis, and the club’s duel Nothing
but Nets spokesmen, defender Robbie Russell and midfielder Jean
Alexandre, being joined by Assistant Coach Miles Joseph; captain Kyle
Beckerman; defenders Chris Wingert, Chris Schuler, and Rauwshan
McKenzie; midfielders Nelson González, Collen
Warner and Luis Gil.
“Winning the MLS Cup was
an incredible victory; we look forward to saying the same about malaria in 5
years,” said Russell, who was himself a victim of malaria while growing
up in Ghana. “To know that a child dies every 30 seconds from a preventable
disease is hard to understand, but it’s easy to help. We’re excited to be part
of building the movement to end malaria.”
The
Real Salt Lake contingent will be joined by local children from the D.C. SCORES
program, players from the RSL Juniors youth soccer program, coaches from the
D.C. Stoddert League, and members of the United Nations Nothing But Nets
campaign. The educational event will combine soccer skills and education about
the global issue of malaria right before the start of the 2010 World Cup, which
provides a timely opportunity to educate children about malaria issues and
teach ways that they can serve and help children in Africa and other parts of
the world.
MLS W.O.R.K.S., Major
League Soccer’s community outreach initiative, has been connecting its teams,
players, and fans to send nets and save lives through Nothing But Nets
since 2007. Since 2006, hundreds of thousands of supporters have helped Nothing
But Nets raise more than $30 million to send more than 3 million
life-saving bed nets to Africa.
As part of a
country-wide bus tour to spread the buzz about saving lives by ending malaria,
the Nothing But Nets’ “Buzz Tour” is working with MLS teams across the
country to host in-stadium events to raise awareness about malaria in the lead
up to the 2010 World Cup, which will be played in Africa for the first
time—where 90 percent of malaria deaths occur.
Long-lasting,
insecticide-treated bed nets are one of the easiest and most cost-effective
methods of preventing the spread of the disease. The nets create a protective
barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the vast majority of malaria
transmissions occur. One bed net can protect a family of four, and lasts
three to five years. A net costs just $10 to purchase, deliver, and
educate the recipient on its proper use.
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, hundreds 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 only costs $10 to provide an insecticide-treated bed net that can prevent this deadly disease. Visit www.NothingButNets.net to send a net and save a life.
About
MLS W.O.R.K.S.
MLS
W.O.R.K.S. is Major League Soccer's community outreach initiative dedicated to
addressing important social issues affecting young people and serves as a
platform for League and club philanthropic programs. MLS W.O.R.K.S. seeks
to establish Major League Soccer as a leader for improving the lives of people
through sport. For more information visit the website at www.MLSsoccer.com/works
