'Nothing But Nets' Fundraiser Dinner

Enjoy an evening of music starting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and a spaghetti dinner while contributing to a cause that helps fight malaria in Africa.

Members of Hot Box, a Cold Spring Harbor band, and members of Student Union, an Elwood band, will play upstairs in the Fellowship Hall at the Huntington-Cold Spring Harbor United Methodist Church. Between acts, enjoy a spaghetti and meatballs dinner.

Funds will go to support Nothing But Nets, a charity the church's Methodist Youth Fellowship has been supporting since the kids learned about it at Youth 2007, a Methodist youth event they attended in Greensboro, N.C.

The MYF has donated more than $2,000 to the campaign over the years, according to Phil Martelli, MYF director. Each $10 donation buys an insecticide-treated bed net that helps protect families at night.

About $30 million was raised in the campaign's first three years, according to the United Nations Foundation's 2009 annual report. It's goal is to reduce malaria deaths from one million each year to near zero by 2015.

Some facts:

* Malaria is one of the largest killers of children in Africa. Every $10 contribution to Nothing But Nets covers the cost of purchasing a long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed net, distributing it, and educating communities on its use.

* Malaria is preventable, but causes more than 200 million illnesses each year and kills nearly 1 million of those who become infected.

* Ninety percent of deaths caused by malaria occur in Africa, where the disease is a leading killer of children.

* Every 45 seconds a child in Africa dies from malaria.

If you can't make the dinner but still want to contribute, donations will be accepted at the UMC church office, 180 W. Neck Road, Huntington, NY, 11743. Put Nothing But Nets in the memo line.