FROM SOCCER TO TENNIS TO RACING…ATHLETES RAISE BIGTIME AWARENESS FOR MALARIA

As the biggest single killer of children in Africa, malaria  needs as many ears and eyeballs on it as possible. And thanks to Malaria No More, an organization dedicated to eradicating the disease, exciting progress is being made in the areas of awareness, education, and funding to those in need.

A few months back we did a post on Bill Gates’ effort in this area, and now even more superstar backing has blasted onto the scene: along with a host of British athletes and celebs, footballer David Beckham and tennis star Andy Murray have pledged their support to help launch Malaria No More UK.

Says Beckham, “It’s truly incredible to think we can stop this killer disease forever and it’s such a simple thing to do. For less than the cost of a football you can protect a family from dying.”

Founded in 2006 by biz leaders Peter Chernin and Ray Chambers, the self-proclaimed “audacious” (gotta love that bold ambition) organization has educated millions of Americans about malaria and raised megabucks through various initiatives–including tens of millions through two “Idol Gives Back” specials on American Idol.

Check out this video of Beckham and Murray at Wembley Stadium for Malaria No More UK:

Another supporter of Malaria No More is Patron Highcroft Racing, through their Miles To End Malaria program. The team has pledged $10 per mile–enough to purchase one insecticide-treated mosquito net–throughout the 2009 American LeMans Series. Says team owner Duncan Dayton, “The more we learned about malaria, the more we wanted to help. Another child dies in Africa every 30 seconds from malaria, so during the 12 Hours of Sebring, that’s nearly 1,500 children. We hope by launching Miles To End Malaria and displaying the Malaria No More logo on our car, we can not only raise important funds for this cause, but also educate fans about the disease.”

Photo: Patron Highcroft Racing

Thanks to kickass efforts like these, malaria can someday have its ass kicked for good!