Merriman Half-Marathon for South Africa

This March I will be running in the NYC Half-Marathon and I'm asking for your help to raise money! The money you help raise will support a project that I have started along with two NYU classmates and in conjunction with researchers at University of California, Berkeley.

The main goal of our project is to raise money for basic but life-saving supplies for the Tshilidzini Hospital in Limpopo, the northernmost province of South Africa. The hospital receives extremely limited funding from the typical channels and as a result the most basic necessities are in short supply. Our project will raise money for the purchase of things like soaps, suturing kits, and sterilized gloves. The importance of these supplies cannot be overstated to help prevent fatal infections and improve the ability of doctors to care for their patients. Your donation will quite literally help save lives!

Additionally, I will be traveling to the area to help conduct Cal-Berkeley/NIH research investigating the health of pregnant women and children as it relates to Malaria control efforts in the region. I will also lend a hand as a volunteer in the hospital itself. This is important work, but of course to be able to help out I need to get myself to South Africa. Your donation will help in this effort, as a portion (no more than 50%) of the money raised will go towards travel and lodging expenses.

So here's hoping you can help me (and a lot of patients) out! Literally any sized donation is greatly appreciated... no amount is too small (or too big!). Tell your friends, tell your mortal enemies, tell whoever. Thanks everyone!

-Gates