ORLANDO -- Kansas City Wizards teammates Jimmy Conrad and Kevin Hartman joined fellow MLS W.O.R.K.S. and Nothing But Nets ambassadors Dwayne De Rosario and Diego Gutierrez to help support the Nothing But Nets campaign at the Kick It 3v3 World Championships held this past weekend at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.
For the second consecutive year, MLS W.O.R.K.S. partnered with Kick It 3v3 to raise awareness and support Nothing But Nets, a grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria. The event hosted close to 25,000 attendees, including more than 6,000 youth soccer players who participated in the three-a-side competition.
Conrad was excited to be on hand to support the efforts and partake in the festivities. The 10-year MLS veteran credits De Rosario and Gutierrez for his involvement with the initiative.
"Both De Rosario and Gutierrez are very passionate about the cause," said Conrad. "They do a great job of spreading awareness of the malaria disease amongst players. This is something that's very important to them. There are many charities you can attach your name to but once I saw their passion that just made me a believer."
Team Buzzkill from Chicago, the winners of the 2008-2009 Kick It Malaria Challenge, raised enough funds for 210 bed nets to be purchased. The on-line challenge, spanning from Nov. 24-Jan. 1, encouraged all competing Kick It 3v3 teams to start their own fundraising efforts to increase awareness and raise funds to purchase life-saving bed nets.
The winning team, as well as other top fundraisers, got the chance to meet the MLS stars during a private meet-and-greet at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The MLS players participated in an autograph session followed by a skills demonstration in front of thousands of youth soccer players and spectators. The fans cheered on the players and Team Buzzkill as they showed off their juggling, shooting and passing skills. After De Rosario addressed the crowd about his involvement as ambassador for the Nothing But Nets campaign, the group took rapid-fire shots on Hartman and then played a 3v3 game where Team Buzzkill came out on top.
Conrad hopes to continue working with MLS W.O.R.K.S. on the Nothing But Nets campaign and other initiatives throughout the year. He credits MLS for putting a program in place that's dedicated to addressing important social issues affecting young people.
"From a player's perspective, it's nice to see that the league is trying to match our enthusiasm and intensity to make a difference not only in the local communities but nationwide and globally as well," Conrad said.
A donation of $10 to Nothing But Nets goes directly to cover the cost of purchasing and distributing a life-saving bed net, as well as educating a family on its use. The motto of the movement: SEND A NET! SAVE A LIFE!
For more information, visit www.nothingbutnets.net.
