Nothing But Nebraska

What do a giant inflatable boy, a hairy dog, a human-sized mosquito, and a member of Congress have in common?

These unlikely allies came together this past weekend to bring the fight against malaria to Lincoln, Nebraska!

Lil’ Red, of the world famous University of Nebraska Cornhuskers; Homer the Haymarket Hound, mascot of the Lincoln Saltdogs baseball team; and our own Mozzie the Mosquito joined Rep. Jeff Fortenberry at Haymarket Park to talk to local folks about why malaria is a global health crisis everyone should care about.

Rep. Fortenberry, co-chair of the Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Caucus, spoke at a picnic at the ballpark. There, he explained his work to prevent malaria and shared how Nothing But Nets can help anyone send a net and save a life. Congressman Fortenberry also recognized a second-grade class from Omaha who held an emergency meeting to raise hundreds of dollars for Nothing But Nets after learning about the disease. The congressman has dedicated himself to helping end malaria, including backing the President’s Malaria Initiative, a bipartisan effort to reduce the burden of malaria. PMI was launched in 2005 by former President George W. Bush and continues today under President Barack Obama.

The congressman and his daughter Caroline capped off the day by throwing out the first pitch of the game in front of a crowd of more than 3,600! Many thanks to the Lincoln Saltdogs, the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, and most of all Congressman Fortenberry, for their support of Nothing But Nets!

Photo credit: Photo by Andrew Dickinson