I raised $110 for The Global Fund to help fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This calculates into 916 single-dose treatments that will prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child. In addition, I also purchased t-shirts and pins from the GAP in which 50% of the proceeds will be donated by (RED) to The Global Fund.

If you somehow came across these posts after the ‘thon, you can still donate. Thank you so much, and I hope to see you next year.

All the names that were in the bowl remained and the last one was added. At about 7:10 AM, the winner was drawn…

Are you gonna do this again next year? Yes/no why?

I am late for the contest, but I would say it is definitely a posibility I would participate again. I have had a lot of fun, and I know that I have at least tried to raise awareness for The Global Fund, in addition to learning about countless charities of my blogging peers. Overall it has been a very positive experience, and I am very glad that I was able to partcipate.

Next year I will plan to be much more organized, and perhaps think out my contests and posts a little bit more in advance. It seems that the people who had themes from the beginning really were successful.

 I’ve decided that I am going to draw for the last t-shirt right after 7AM, and make the post at 7:30AM.  Once 8AM hits, I want to be far, far, far, far away from my computer.  I will probably sleep late into the afternoon. 

What does everyone (or anyone) plan to do when the clock hits 6EST?

Examples of approved programs include a voucher program in Tanzania, which allows pregnant women to obtain locally-produced malaria bed nets from nearby village vendors.

A TB grant given to Sierra Leone is helping to rebuild 70% of the country’s DOTS clinics, which were destroyed during its civil war.

In India, a prevention program has been started and is greatly reducing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV/AIDS. Moreover, India is now training more than two thousand health care workers to provide counseling, testing, and treatment for people with sexually transmitted infections.

Throughout Ghana, grant money is being used to build 16 voluntary testing and counseling centers, as well as MTCT prevention services, which are being provided to 600 mothers per year. Ghana’s grant money has also given 2,000 people living with AIDS to opportunity to begin antiretroviral treatment. In addition to this 20,000 TB patients are now being afforded the opportunity to begin DOTS treatment. A quarter of these patients are being treated in private health clinics in order to strengthen the countries overall capacity to fight TB.

In many cases, effective disease-specific strategies depend on simultaneous efforts to strengthen underlying health systems in recipient countries.
For example, a Global Fund grant awarded to Haiti in 2002 has enabled that country to re-open a public health clinic and operating room, stock five public clinics with essential medicines, and provide basic laboratory services in four clinics. More than 600 individuals have received antiretroviral treatment, and over 300 new TB cases have been detected. In such cases, Global Fund resources not only add to Haiti’s efforts to prevent and treat HIV and TB; they also contribute to overall health improvement for 250,000 area residents.

I think he’s about to have 1 to 1000 marbles in a bowl jar coming up, and that is going to be hard. *laughs uncontrollably* He’s a funny guy, and he should be since his blog is joke and humor focused.

For example:

You Might be a Redneck Jedi If…..

* You ever heard the phrase, “May the force be with ya’ll.”

You know you laughed. I did! Thanks Mike, for sponsoring me and lifting my spirits a bit during these last hours.

Edit: This was written closer to 5AM, but somehow I wandered back to the marbles without hitting publish.

Did everyone join (RED) today? Has anyone wondered why there are brackets around the words? From the website:

What’s the meaning of the parentheses or brackets? Well, we call them “the embrace.” Each company that becomes (RED) places its logo in this embrace and is then elevated to the power of red. Thus the name — (PRODUCT)RED.

You, the consumer, can take your purchase to the power of (RED) simply by upgrading your choice. Thus the proposition: (YOU)RED. Be embraced, take your own fine self to the power of (RED). What better way to become a good-looking samaritan?!

I’m sorry this can’t be more interesting. I know a secret, but I can’t tell. Because then people will think I have run out of things to write about. And I don’t want that… even if it is true.

I also won the Favorite Animal Contest on the Blogathon page with the Liger picture I found. I feel guilty because there were some really nicely painted ones from other folks. I am happy though, because now I have $100 for my chairty which is 1/5 my goal.

Anyone want to sponsor me? I am amazed how many hits my pledge page has gotten. For real. It is insane. I just need a rich anonymous donor. I saw somewhere when I was surfing that someone got $100 from an anon person. Incredible! That’s the kind of thing I love.