The Observer, December 1, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 12
Case swim team races for malaria prevention
This weekend, Case swimmers will be competing not only for the win but also to raise money for the World Swim for Malaria organization.
Both the women's and men's teams will donate their swims and dives at the College of Wooster Invitational this weekend in order to raise money. The money will then be used by the World Swim for Malaria to purchase bed netting for areas plagued with the mosquito-transmitted disease.
The World Swim for Malaria has only occurred once before, with Case present at the inception.
Co-captain John Erickson stumbled across the organization's website last year while doing malaria research for Peter Zimmerman. Last year, the swim teams donated their swims at a different swim meet and collected just under $1700, which bought approximately 340 bed nets. The money itself came from family and friends who donated towards the cause.
"We made an announcement to everyone at the meet about the event...I bought a bunch of balloons that we tied to our bags and drew mosquitoes and anti-malaria sayings on...Some other teams sponsored us after the event once they heard about [WSM]," said Erickson.
"Last year at Wooster, I helped advertise by drawing a mosquito on my back," said swimmer Brian Grady.
This year, the teams hope to raise $2000 at the Wooster Invitational. Currently, they are the only team at the Invitational competing for the WSM, but many other colleges in Ohio are participating.
In attempt to raise money for WSM, the swim and dive team has advertised as much as possible to friends, family, and even hometowns.
"I first contacted all my relatives, with a lot of success. Additionally, John Erickson and I went back to my high school swim team over Thanksgiving break and we advertised to the North Canton Hoover High School swim team," said Grady. "We told them about the project with the hopes that next year, they can have their own Swim for Malaria."
All of the swimmers received a stack of fliers to post around campus and hand out to people.
"John Erickson is the senior captain that has been in charge of organizing us as a group, and his motivation to raise money has been really great. He encouraged a lot of our teammates to make announcements and talk to their friends into donating money," said Camilla Cullis, women's co-captain, who is donating her 200IM, 400IM, and 200 breaststroke.
The World Swim for Malaria began on Dec. 3, 2005, as the brainchild of Englishman Rob Mather. It began as a three-person sponsored swim for a little girl who had suffered 90 percent burns on her body from a house fire. The idea then spawned a more global idea to have 1 million people swim on the same day to raise money for a common cause: thus, WSM. Last year marked the first attempt at that goal. This year, WSM hopes to reach 1 million swimmers.
All of the money raised by the swimmers goes to the World Swim for Malaria charity, which then uses 100 percent of the money to buy bed nets, the number one prevention mechanism for malaria. Each bed net costs $5, and for every 20 bed nets purchased, one life is saved.
"Malaria is one of the biggest disease killers in the world. It kills at least 1.5 million people every year. 70 percent of the deaths are children under five. That's equivalent to one child dying of malaria in Africa every 30 seconds, or seven jumbo jets full of children disappearing from malaria every day," according to the WSM website.
The website goes on to say that each $1.75 million raised will prevent 15,000 deaths from malaria. But WSM does not simply buy the nets and them distribute them. WSM is committed to making sure each bed net is installed correctly over people's bed, especially the beds of young children and pregnant women.
"The World Swim for Malaria website shows photographs of the donations in action," said Pat Rodjom, men's co-captain. Rodjom is donating his 100 Breast and 200 Breast, as well as several team relays.
The teams are committed to participating in the World Swim for Malaria every year and hope to help WSM reach its goal of 1 million swimmers. To help the teams reach their target of $2000 this year, visit www.worldswimformalaria.com/en/6742 to make donations.
