Madness Against Malaria “Elite Eight” Teams Compete to Fight Malaria

NEW YORK; March 27, 2007 — While UCLA, Florida, Ohio State and Georgetown have reached the pantheon of college basketball and prepare for Final Four, across the globe a group of eight teams is involved in a competition of their own – one that is literally saving lives. Madness Against Malaria (MAM), a unique international online fund and awareness-raising initiative, has entered its own “Elite Eight” round, pitting university students, grade school children, businesses and not-for-profit organizations around the globe against each other (see: madnessagainstmalaria.com).

The goal of MAM, which launched in September 2006 and was lauded for its creativity by First Lady Laura Bush during the December 2006 White House summit on malaria, is to raise funds and awareness to combat malaria, which despite being fully preventable and curable, kills 1-3 million people each year—70% of whom are children under the age of five.

All of the funds raised through MAM will be used to purchase life-saving long-lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets (LLINs), which cost just $5 apiece and are extremely effective at preventing malaria, which is spread by mosquitoes. As of March 26, MAM has raised $79,951 to purchase 15,990 nets.

“It is amazing that a simple $5 item can save a life, even two lives,” said hedge fund manager and philanthropist Lance Laifer, who co-founded MAM along with Rob Mather of the World Swim For Malaria Foundation (WSMF). “I’ve just returned from a trip to Ghana where I was able to see first-hand the impact the nets make. The highlight of my trip was how eager kids were to show me their nets and jump under them. Even the adults were eager to show me their nets. When pregnant moms jumped under them, well, let’s just say it was emotional.”

Just as in the NCAA basketball tournament, the winners of the MAM “Elite Eight” round will move on to the “Final Four,” followed by the championship round, the “Mad Bowl.” On April 16, the winning team will be determined and awarded the “Malaria Cup.”

The MAM “Elite Eight” features a number of interesting pairings – the team match-ups are as follows:

• George Washington University, a group of students at the Washington, D.C.; vs. Team USA, sponsored by Dukas Public Relations, an NYC PR firm.

• Paltalk Against Malaria, based in NYC, vs. Cramp School NBGs, a 6th grade class in Philadelphia, PA.

• Beantown Beatdown of de' Squiter, established by the Boston University School of Public Health Rotaract Club vs. Emory Against Anopheles, students from Emory University in Atlanta, GA.

• Nepal-Covered, a multi-national team of individuals connected to Nepal vs. Dream Team-His Nets, sponsored by the Oklahoma-based, His Nets, a non-profit that raises money for and distributes insecticide treated mosquito nets in Africa.

“Every one of the more than 100 teams that’s participated in MAM is to be commended for their commitment to wiping out Malaria,” said Laifer. “They have made it clear that people of all ages and from around the world are relentless and persistent in the fight to defeat the mosquitoes and the parasites they transmit in what truly is a winnable war of attrition.”

To participate in Madness Against Malaria by supporting one of the top 16 teams, visit www.madnessagainstmalaria.com.