UNBC Nets Rick Mercer

By 250 News

billboard at UNBC in the wake of last week's win

Prince George, B.C. - It will be a busy day for a small group of UNBC students, preparing for tomorrow's arrival of the CBC's Rick Mercer and his television crew...

This is 'the prize' for winning the 'Spread the Net' student challenge - a cross-Canada campaign to raise funds for bed nets to protect children in Africa against malaria.  According to www.spreadthenet.org, malaria kills one child in Africa every 30-seconds.  A $10 bed net can protect up to five children for five years. 

The organization issued a challenge to high schools and universities across Canada to raise funds for the cause and UNBC topped all other universities by raising $18,710.  Rick Mercer made the announcement during his CBC show, the Rick Mercer Report, this past week.  To see the City of Prince George's coverage of the announcement, click on video icon at right.

Spread the Net team captain at UNBC, Don Ireland, says he was ecstatic when he heard the news that the local effort had topped all other campuses across the country.  Ireland says it was really a 'come from behind' victory, because although the campaign started in September, his team was slow to get rolling.

Ireland says some concerted fundraising began in December, but attending a weekend of basketball games in January went a long way in their fundraising efforts, bringing in several thousand dollars just by passing around a donation box.  He says his group was pretty straightforward in their campaign - setting up an information table and donation box several days a week on campus.  Ireland says the campus community and community at-large - there were a few corporate sponsors - really came together to push UNBC past their competitors.

And Ireland is hoping everyone will come out to celebrate "the community's win" during Rick Mercer's visit to campus tomorrow to tape his show.  There is a spirit rally planned for 12:30pm in the Canfor Winter Garden.  Everyone is being encouraged to wear UNBC's green and gold colours.  Students and city residents, alike, are also being invited to pack the Northern Sports Centre for the much-anticipated basketball game between Mercer and the CCAA's Player of the Year, UNBC T-wolves' Inderbir Gill.  The game is expected to begin around 2:30pm.

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