Duffy to host Nothing But Nets fundraiser

By A. Boggs

Vanderbilt rising senior forward Joe Duffy will be hosting a fundraiser this weekend for Nothing But Nets, a charity that buys mosquito nets for the people of Africa, where Malaria is one of the continent's number one killers.

Duffy and his Commodore teammates will divide the entrants by grade and then conduct a series of 3-on-3 basketball tournaments, with the individuals/teams that raise the most money getting to choose who their "celebrity" coach will be.

The entry fee is $20 per child, with all of the donations going directly towards Nothing But Nets. One mosquito net costs $10, and according to Duffy, one net saves one life. The tournament will be held in the Memorial Gym practice gym beginning at 1 p.m. For those registering on site, arrive a little earlier to register.

Those participating will receive a free Nothing But Nets t-shirt, and Gatorades and snacks will also be available to the players.

Nothing But Nets is a charity that was started by former Sports Illustrated writer and current ESPN.com columnist Rick Reilly. According to the Nothing But Nets website, Reilly says:

Thank you for joining Nothing But Nets, the global campaign to save lives by preventing malaria. When I learned that a million kids die each year of malaria, I wrote a column asking people to give $10 for malaria bed nets. I started to get letters. And checks. Already, more than 70,000 people have raised over $20 million – enough to buy 2,000,000 nets.

Here's Duffy's website where you can register or, if you can't make the tournament, donate a few dollars to a worthy cause. Click here to visit. Also, click on the video below to see Duffy address the media about his fund raiser Saturday.