The Nothing But Nets campaign travels to New York City this week for a series of promotional events intended to raise awareness for the grassroots anti-malaria campaign. The events kick off today with a panel discussion at Hunter College with malaria advocacy experts from the United Nations, the NGO community and philanthropic organizations. Tomorrow, Rick Reilly, the Sports Illustrated writer whose column inspired the Nothing But Nets campaign, will speak at the NBA store in Manhattan along with representatives from the UN Foundation and the NBA. Finally, on Friday, the New Jersey Nets-Chicago Bulls basketball game at Continental Airlines Arena will highlight Nothing But Nets, the first of many in-house promotions at NBA arenas throughout the country.

For those in New York interested in attending any or all of these events, more details are below the fold. From January 3, 2006 to January 5, 2006, partners of Nothing But Nets, a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria will participate in several events throughout New York City to raise awareness about malaria and share how corporations and individuals are sending nets and saving lives. Partners participating in the events include the United Nations Foundation, the National Basketball Association's NBA Cares, The People of the United Methodist Church, Sports Illustrated, Mark J. Gordon Foundation, and VH1.

All events are open to credentialed media only.

Please contact Amy DiElsi at 202-492-3078 or adielsi@unfoundation.org.

January 3, 2006

8:30 a.m to 6:00 p.m Malaria Advocacy Boot Camp

Hunter College; 695 Park Avenue (entrance at E. 68th and Lexington)

Hosted by Americans for Informed Democracy 250 young leaders from across the world will hear from leaders and advocates fighting malaria including:

Melanie Renshaw, Senior Health Advisor, UNICEF

Emmanuel d'Harcourt, Senior Child Survival Technical Advisor, The International Rescue Committee

Cynthia Scharf, Public Information Officer, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Mark J. Gordon, Founder, Students Helping Achieve Philanthropic Excellence (SHAPE)

Martin Edlund, Communications Director, Millennium Promise

January 4, 2006

6:00 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wake Up America, So Children Can Sleep in Peace

Staging area at 1515 Broadway -- Broadway between 44th and 45th

Malaria Boot Camp participants will participate in visibility "street teams"

3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. NBA Store Launch -- Nothing But Nets

NBA Store; 666 Fifth Avenue

NBA TV's Andre Aldridge to host panel discussion on preventing malaria in Africa featuring:

Kathleen Bushkin - Executive Vice President and COO, UN Foundation

Sam Perkins - NBA Legend

Ruth Riley - WNBA Champion, Detroit Shock

Rick Reilly - Sports Illustrated columnist

January 5, 2006

7:30 p.m. In-arena promotion at New Jersey Nets v. Chicago Bulls game

Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

This is the first of 22 in-arena promotions that the NBA is conducting in support of Nothing But Nets in 2007.