It’s been two years since ART APPETITE LA began raising money for charities during the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk. Although there has been more controversy than proceeds, their team at Art Walk is steadfast in its efforts to turn the crowds of Art Walk and the community into art-buying philanthropists and this month they are raising money to help end malaria in Africa.
Every 60 seconds, a child under 5 years of age dies from malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa. While millions turn a blind eye to the suffering, a few have stayed after seeing the devastation to face the epidemic head on, fighting the zombified mosquitoes that infect the blood of innocent African children while they are sleeping.
The first time Richard Harding, founding member of End Malaria Now, walked into a hospital in Kenya, seeing all of the sick and dying children who were infected with malaria, he immediately knew he had to make a difference to prevent the death of innocent children. As soon as he returned to America, he founded the organization End Malaria Now.
With End Malaria Now, all of the donations go towards the purchase and distribution of insecticide-protected bed nets, coaching Community Outreach Specialists to work hard year-round and raising awareness and funds to end malaria within our lifetime. Each Each year, End Malaria Now takes funds and uses them to distribute bed nets in a region of Africa that has been greatly affected by malaria. This year they plan to raise enough funds in order to take 30,000 bed nets to Rwanda and Sierra Leone in 2017.
During their distribution trips, their team strives to be as hands-on as possible, hand delivering every bed net to each service location and assisting in hanging the nets themselves along with other volunteers. They also get to know the people at the locations that they service, putting themselves at risk and doing whatever else it takes to save lives.
The team takes every precaution before each trip, which includes taking malaria tablets that boost their immune systems to protect against infection, applying insect repellant and using the bed nets themselves when they are sleeping at night.
Now, for the first time in Downtown Art Walk history, you you can help save the life of a child in Africa. During the Downtown Art Walk, stop by Art Appetite LA, make a donation and get involved with the cause. 712 S Spring Street, July 14th, 2016 from 5pm to 11pm.
