Drop the New Year’s Eve ball on malaria

The end of the year is upon us already — how did that happen so quickly? There are 7 weeks left until 2010. But aside from ringing in the New Year with a party hat, noisemakers, and Ryan Seacrest, we have an even bigger task ahead of us: 160,000 nets are needed for refugees by Dec. 31.

Big, but not impossible. Because 160,000 nets means at least 160,000 lives will be saved from malaria. 160,000 refugees will be protected and given hope because they were given a bed net.

There are 48 days left until New Year’s Eve — 48 days to drop the ball on malaria and send 160,000 nets to refugees in Africa.

If you read my blogs from Uganda, and the trip diaries from our guests, you know how desperately nets are needed. For just $10, we can send a net and help protect children and their families from the devastating effects of malaria.

Three years ago, the UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets started with a sports column from Rick Reilly. It has grown into a tagline-winning, sitcom-starring, internationally-supported campaign made up of millions of people like you: moms, students, teachers, athletes, singers, actors, mayors, and more. In three years, YOU have achieved amazing accomplishments!

We know that we can all do even more amazing things together, and we need your help to get started — by dropping the New Year’s Eve ball on malaria to fulfill our goal of protecting more than one million refugees in Africa.

The countdown begins today.