Vestergaard Frandsen

Hello! This is Julia reporting in. I am now back in Colorado, where Hana and I have been working on finishing up our business cards, securing a source for string, and finding new places to sell our bracelets. However, before I left New York, I had a meeting with Peter Cleary and Elisabeth Wilhelm from the Vestergaard Frandsen bed net manufacturing company. They came across Knots for Nets from a Google Alert, and from there contacted us about their desire to write an article for their website and tweet about us!
So on Monday, I went to their office near Grand Central Station and met with both Peter and Elisabeth to discuss how we can work together. They showed me a few of their products, which include long-lasting insecticidal nets (to put over beds) and net curtains (to put inside windows). I was very inspired by their dedication to community service and their perseverance in the fight against malaria.
When I met with them, they offered to send us a few of their bed nets to show as examples when selling bracelets, so that people can see directly what their money is being used for. (They do, in fact, supply some nets to Against Malaria.) However, when I contacted them again, Peter told me that they were sending every net they had directly to Haiti, to help out with the crisis that has occured there because of the recent earthquake. So we will let you know when we receive the nets, but in the meantime, you can know that they are being put to very good use!
In fact, Knots for Nets has also decided to help out with the current situation in Haiti. We are going to donate our most recent proceeds from bracelet sales (about $100) to the Against Malaria "Haiti Earthquake" page, to assure that the nets we fund go directly to Haiti where they are currently needed most. Visit their page now if you want to make a special donation!
Thank you!

-Julia

Coming to a Poor Richard's near you

Poor Richard's, an independent bookstore in Colorado Springs, decided that they liked our bracelets and put some up for sale. Here are a couple pictures of the display, along with a sign we made that explains what we are all about. Go and check them out!

320 North Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903-1224(719) 578-0012‎

Marketing update

We are almost done with our triple-function business cards/info cards/price tags. John Fletcher, the graphic designer who is kindly helping us with our marketing materials, crafted a whole slew of logos for us to choose from, and we selected the following for its knotty font and anti-Anopheles message.



















We have good things planned on the selling front as well. Lauren Schultz, an artist and fellow student at Colorado College, is planning a crafts sale for April 24. The day after, April 25, is World Malaria Day, and we hope to host an publicizing and educational event then as well. We will also pursue the possibility of selling at Llamapalooza, CC’s annual outdoor music festival.

There are several local stores in the Springs which we are going to approach with our wares – The Leechpit and Poor Richard’s Bookstore figure among them.

Rachel Curtis of Wilkes University is back in her beloved Costa Rica with the OTS Global Health Semester, and she and Profesora Mariace Matamoros will continue their crafty activities there.

Students at UMN-Morris, Duke University, U-Washington, NYU, and Santa Clara University have all offered their expertise with various aspects of the project, and we look forward to working with them!

As always, keep up the good words – your comments, critiques, and questions are greatly appreciated and will be acknowledged or responded to promptly.

-Hana