Spread the Net
{{Infobox organization
| name = Spread the Net
| image = Spread the Net logo.png
| image_size = 200px
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| founder = Belinda Stronach and Rick Mercer
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| location = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| area_served = Uganda, Rwanda, Liberia, Guinea
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| homepage = {{URL|spreadthenet.ca}}
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Spread the Net is a charitable organization that aims to reduce malaria in African nations. It was co-founded by Rick Mercer, a Canadian satirist, and Belinda Stronach, a former Canadian Member of Parliament and philanthropist. A partnership with UNICEF Canada has allowed Spread the Net to achieve the goal of distributing 500,000 insecticide-treated bed nets to Liberia and Rwanda.[http://cms.spreadthenet.org/cmsdocs/STN%20script%20edited.doc Spread the Net High School Campaign] Spread the Net now works with its partners to combat malaria. The campaign has donated over 539,000 nets since its founding.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}}
History
In 2006, Rick Mercer and Belinda Stronach travelled to Africa along with Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the UN Millennium Project,[http://www.spreadthenet.org/c_learn_whatis_en.aspx What is Spread the Net?]{{Cite web|url=https://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/1791|title=Mission - The Earth Institute - Columbia University|website=www.earth.columbia.edu|access-date=2020-02-15}} in preparation to co-host the Millennium Promise Convention in Montreal on November 9, 2006. At the convention, Mercer and Stronach, along with Jeffrey Sachs and Nigel Fisher, President and CEO of UNICEF Canada, announced their intention to begin the Spread the Net campaign and raise $5 million for insecticide treated bed nets to be given to children and pregnant women in Liberia and Rwanda.{{cite news
| title =Stronach joins Clinton at anti-poverty session
| work =CTV News
| date =November 9, 2006
| url =http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20061109/montreal_millenium_061109?hub=EdmontonHome
| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110706174850/http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20061109/montreal_millenium_061109?hub=EdmontonHome
| url-status =dead
| archive-date =July 6, 2011
| accessdate =March 12, 2009}} One X One founder Joey Adler and Millennium Promise Conference founder Daniel Germain each gave $150,000 to the campaign at the conference.{{cite press release
| title = Belinda Stronach and Rick Mercer launch anti-malarial bednet campaign:"Spread the Net" with UNICEF Canada
| publisher = UNICEF
| date = November 9, 2006
| url = http://www.unicef.org/media/media_36509.html
| accessdate = 2009-03-14}} The first order for 33,000 bed nets was made on March 28, 2007.{{cite news
| title =UNICEF: Spread the Net Announces First Purchase of 33,000 Anti- Malarial Bed Nets for Liberia Liberian President applauds Belinda Stronach, Rick Mercer and UNICEF Canada's Nigel Fisher for Spread the Net initiative
| work =CCNMatthews Newswire
| date = March 28, 2007
| url =
}}
By December 2011, Spread the Net achieved its founding goal; 500,000 nets distributed to pregnant women and children in Liberia and Rwanda.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}} Spread the Net has teamed with Plan Canada, working together to deliver another 250,000 nets, this time to Guinea.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}}
In 2012, Spread the Net partnered together with the Mosquitoes Suck Tour, a 60-minute performance act for high school students across Canada.{{cite web |url=http://humberetc.com/2013/03/21/fighting-malaria-a-mission-for-david-peck/ |title=Fighting malaria a mission for David Peck {{!}} Humber Et Cetera |website=humberetc.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102142746/http://humberetc.com/2013/03/21/fighting-malaria-a-mission-for-david-peck/ |archive-date=2013-11-02}}
=Student Challenge=
In 2007, Spread the Net started fund raising in Canadian Schools. Between 2007 and 2008 over 250 schools participated raising $300,000. The competition has been presented to schools across Canada, and the school that raises the most to donate would be visited by Rick Mercer.[http://www.spreadthenet.org/b_bmc_challenge_en.aspx About the Spread the Net Student Challenge] The challenge includes post-secondary, secondary, and elementary school divisions, and one wild-card winner. In the 2010 edition, the challenge featured an additional twist by inviting schools in east to compete with their counterparts in the west, resulting in two post-secondary level winners.
==Winners==
File:Rick Mercer Spread the Net.jpg at the 2016 top secondary school, Balmoral Hall School]]
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.spreadthenet.org/ Official site]
Category:Organizations based in Toronto
Category:Malaria organizations