The Imagine No Malaria Cal-Pac Steering Committee gathered for its launch meeting this past Saturday, December 14, 2013 to chart a course for success towards reaching the 300,000 deaths prevented goal for 2014.

The momentum building for the initiative in Cal-Pac was felt at the table as Co-Chair Rev. Kathy Cooper-Ledesma, Phil Freeman, Leanne Nakanishi, Willa Dalrymple, Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, Katie Kevorkian, Rev. Stephen Hundley and James Kang were welcomed by a poinsettia and a card that signified a gift was made to Imagine No Malaria in their name by Bishop Carcaño, an example of an Alternative Giving Gift that will be made available throughout the year.

The meeting began with a report from Imagine No Malaria Cal-Pac Field Coordinator, Katie Kevorkian, that $50,000 has already been raised before the official launch of the initiative this coming January.  This set the stage for the first key project undertaken by the Committee to ensure that the January 15, 2014 Los Angeles Clippers official launch event would be well attended.  500 tickets have already been sold and only 50 are left as Cal-Pac will flood Staples Center with a sea of Imagine No Malaria t-shirts.  Also invited to the event are leaders from across the Western Jurisdiction as Cal-Pac hosts a Jurisdictional meeting.

Another key project of the Committee is the World Malaria Day Conference-wide Pancake Breakfast on April 26-27, 2014.  Local churches are encouraged to be creative in making this a special Imagine No Malaria fundraising day.  One example of such creativity is a recent fundraising challenge by a local pastor to the youth that, if met, would result in his washing everyone’s cars while wearing a mosquito suit.

In addition to World Malaria Day, Imagine No Malaria will make available resources for Alternative Giving Days throughout the year. Bulletin inserts, greeting cards, and fundraising resources are already available for download on the website, and more will be added throughout the year. Resources to celebrate Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas and special days like birthdays, graduations and confirmations will be available.

Finally, the Committee is developing plans to recognize the successful fundraising efforts of our local churches throughout Cal-Pac at Annual Conference 2014.  It will be a special celebration for Cal-Pac as we become aware of the great number of deaths we will have prevented, most of whom would be pregnant women and children as young as five years old, and as we experience the love of the God of abundance over scarcity.

“I am touched and emboldened by what I have seen of our local churches to launch and expand our initiative Conference-wide,” said Kevorkian.  “Our motivation to raise funds truly comes from a desire to make a real difference in the world and so many of our local churches did not hesitate to make Imagine No Malaria a true ministry priority.  The future is bright for Sub-Saharan Africa because the future is bright for Cal-Pac.”

The members of the official Imagine No Malaria Cal-Pac Steering Committee, led by Co-Chairs Rev. Kathy Cooper-Ledesma and Pauley Perrette, are Phil Freeman, Leanne Nakanishi, Willa Dalrymple, Bishop Minerva G. Carcaňo, Katie Kevorkian, Rev. Stephen Hundley, Archana Carey, Rev. Cedrick Bridgeforth and James Kang.

To get started at your own local church, visit the Imagine No Malaria Cal-Pac website (www.buzzkills.net), find INM on Facebook and Pinterest, and contact Katie Kevorkian (kkevorkian@cal-pac.org) today!