First 50 Teams Enter Madness Against Malaria Tournament

The first 50 teams have entered the Madness Against Malaria Tournament. They are: Team Cameroon, The Goodies, Global Mathers Against Malaria, The Vanderbilt Commodores, Skazka, S.O.S., The Hotis Family, Stonewall Brigade, Chaining Malaria, Malaria Atlas Project, Facebook Against Malaria, The Valley Crew , The Candella Family, Adelphi University Alumni, U.S. Flag Company, Men & Women of Merrill Lynch, Time Moving & Storage, Israel Against Malaria, The Conneely Family, Lynbrook Owls Against Malaria,
Scott's Skype Friends, Grandparents against Malaria, Rabbis Against Malaria,
Paltalk Against Malaria, Results Canada, Kiss Malaria Goodbye, Galactico, Africa Fighting Malaria, North Carolina Against Malaria, Brooklyn Bums, Rowayton Ramblers , Malaria Foundation International, PCVs against malaria, Soft Power Health, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Yeshiva of Spring Valley, Baruch Alumni, Camp Stone, NYU Against Malaria,
Empowering The Poor-Malaria Fighters, Italy Against Malaria, Proud Wives, Fighting Bulldogs, George Washington University, McAdoos Against Malaria, Birthday Nets, Woody, Merrill Lynch Bulls Against Malaria, Anonymous, and the Fulham Flappers.

Lance Laifer, one of the co-Founders of Madness Against Malaria, thanked the first fifty teams and encouraged others to follow the lead of these entrants into the world's most sophisticated and fun fundraising endeavor. He said that, "we are gratified that so many of the leaders of the fight against malaria have joined hands with corporate, family and student to motivate and collaborate with others to fight the war against malaria. Millions of children are dying unnecessarily, and we must do everything we can to work together, even in a competitive situation to entice millions to take part in this fight. Only through hard work and collaborative work will we be able to save as many lives as possible."

After five weeks of competition, the The Malaria Atlas Project (MAP)
www.MadnessAgainstMalaria.com/map is in first place. MAP is the first team to maintain it's lead for a second week.

For a full list of up to date standings click here http://madnessagainstmalaria.com/en/Teams_Top64.aspx

To see how the brackets would break down if the tournament ended today click here
http://madnessagainstmalaria.com/en/MarchMadness.aspx and the click on any quadrant you want.

About Madness Against Malaria

Madness Against Malaria is a fun, international online competition to identify the team that is best at raising funds to buy long-lasting insecticidal (mosquito) nets (LLINs) to help in the fight against malaria. The aim is to involve people all over the world. A team is any group willing to band together to raise funds. It could be a school, a group of friends, religious group, science class, volunteer group, company, work colleagues, sports club, family. Each team will try to get others to donate money to the cause at their team page. The aim will be to win the Malaria Cup by raising enough money to be the last team standing. 100% of the money raised will buy long lasting insecticidal mosquito nets. Madness Against Malaria is an initiative of the World Swim For Malaria Foundation (WSMF), a charity registered in the UK, US, Australia and a number of other countries.
WSMF launched and ran World Swim For Malaria (WSM) on 3rd Dec 2005 in which more than 250,000 people swam and fundraised. 100% of the US$1.3m raised purchased 270,000 long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) which are now being distributed to protect 540,000 (mainly) children from biting insects when they sleep at night.

The "regular season" for the Madness Against Malaria Tournament will last from September 2006 until February 2007. Teams set up a sponsorship page online and raise money. Teams can start raising money whenever they like during this period. The top 64 teams by funds raised at the end of February go through to a week-to-week single elimination tournament over six weeks until one team is crowned as the champion. Throughout all phases of the tournament, 100% of funds raised will be used to buy long-lasting insecticidal nets and save lives.

March 1 - 11 - The Tournament begins. The top 64 teams are paired off
and ‘compete’ knock-out style against each other. By March 12, 32
teams remain.

March 12 - 18 - The 32 teams compete against each other and 16 teams remain

March 19 - 25 - Sweet Sixteen single elimination round.

March 26 - April 1 - Elite Eight single elimination round.

April 2 - 8 - Final Four single elimination round.

April 9-15 - Championship Week - single elimination round, winner is announced


There might be some interesting pairings during the Tournament’s single elimination phase. A large multi-national corporation might play against a school of 700 children in Saudi Arabia; a basketball team in Milwaukee against a Rotary club in Australia; a few people in the office of a multinational in Nairobi might be paired against a group of malaria researchers in Switzerland. Teams can be any number of people, from anywhere.

Strategy, timing and tactics will be important. Teams will need to be strategic in their fundraising because it is not a cumulative contest. Money raised does not carry over from the regular season to the elimination round and money raised in each week of the elimination round does not carry over to the next week. To win, a team will need to
finish in the top 64 teams at the end of February, but then that team is paired against another team in the first round of the knock out phase and both start from $0. The team in each pairing raising the most money over the next week, progresses. Each team’s total is then reset to $0 (again). For each of the other final elimination rounds the totals are, likewise, set back to zero.

Teams will need to be smart. If a team finishes at top of the pile at the end of February but is ‘beaten’ in the first knock out round, that team is out.

There is no limit to the number of people you can co-opt into your team at any time. Particularly during March, that may be important…

Will it be a school, a company, a foundation, or a ten year old child that manages to rally everyone in the world around her? Your guess is as good as ours.

To register your team and get started click here www.madnessagainstmalaria.com

Contact: Lance Laifer 203-899-0657
email - vs.malaria@gmail.com