Fire midfielders Diego Gutierrez and Bakary Soumare teamed up with MLS W.O.R.K.S. at the Kick-It 3v3 World Championships in Orlando, Fla. to benefit the United Nations Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign on Saturday, January 19. Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa.
The two "Men in Red" were joined by Dwayne De Rosario of the Houston Dynamo, Kevin Hartman of the Kansas City Wizards, and Jose Burciaga Jr. of the Colorado Rapids as the MLS athletes held an interactive skills demonstration during the tournament at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex. MLS W.O.R.K.S. also held a reception later that evening at Epcot Center where fans mingled with the athletes and watched a fireworks display.
While malaria has largely been eradicated in the United States, between 350 and 500 million people are still infected worldwide every year, and of those, more than one million die. Ever 30 seconds a child in Africa dies from a malaria infection transmitted by a mosquito bite, but they wouldn't have to if they slept under a long-lasting insecticide-treated net that prevents mosquitoes from biting. A $10 donation to Nothing But Nets covers the cost to purchase and distribute a net and educate on its proper use.
For more information or to donate visit: www.NothingButNets.net or www.MLSnet.com/works.
