Hi and thanks for visiting my fund-raising page!

Along with thousands of other participants, I've made a commitment to shoot 1,000 free throws on World Aids Day, Saturday, December 1, 2007. I'm doing this to help children and their families who have been affected by the HIV and AIDS crises in the African country of Zambia.

Zambia is a beautiful nation that is home to antelopes, zebras, monkeys, and elephants. One of the largest concentrations of wildlife in Africa can be found in Zambia's Luangwa Valley National Park.

Unfortunately, Zambia is also stricken with one of the worst HIV and AIDS problems in Africa. With 16% of the population HIV positive and over 1,000,000 children already orphaned by AIDS, this struggling country is groaning under the weight of the AIDS pandemic.

The challenge may seem enormous but I'm going to take it on-one village and one free throw at a time.

Last year, Hoops of Hope participants raised more than $65,000 and helped to build a school in Twachiyanda, Zambia. This school, in a community hard hit by AIDS, is serving children who used to walk up to six miles just to get to school.

This year, our goal is to raise enough money to provide a Voluntary Counseling and Testing Center Laboratory, to be located in the community of Sinazongwe in Zambia. This laboratory will enable people in this community to be tested and know their HIV/AIDS status in as little as 20 minutes (current HIV/AIDS testing, when it is available, can take as long as two weeks to obtain a result). Once test results are known, drug therapies are available to treat the virus and the infections associated with it. This extends and improves the lives of mothers and fathers, which means fewer children become orphans!

Let's never forget that across the world over 6,000 children every day are losing one or both parents to HIV and AIDS. We can't do everything but we can each do something. Will you support me by making a tax-deductible donation on my web page? Donating on this web page is simple and totally secure. World Vision will use these gifts to build this laboratory and help the families of Sinazongwe.