Colorado
This morning, Colorado US Senate Candidate, Jane Norton, held a campaign event with former US Senator Rick Santorum. I attended to make sure that ONE and the world’s poorest people were not forgotten here in the Mile High City.
When I got there in my ONE shirt, I was instantly recognized by Jane Norton and had a chance to speak with her about ONE and our efforts to encourage bold and brave US leadership to fight global poverty and preventable disease in Africa. After our conversation, unannounced to me, she started her remarks to the crowd off by recognizing ONE and asked that I speak to the crowd about ONE!
I briefly addressed the group and explained what ONE was and how one of the best ways for the US to help fight AIDS, malaria, and TB is through the Global Fund. I then explained how Senator Santorum was a true champion for the world’s poorest people, and while in the Senate he would often work across party lines in order to make sure that the Global Fund had the right amount of funding in order to help save millions of lives. The crowd applauded Senator Santorum’s efforts to help the Global Fund and help get life saving pills out to over 5 million Africans, building a safer and more stable world for us at home and for those in the poorest nations on Earth.
After the event ended, I had a chance to personally thank Senator Santorum for his efforts to help the least among us, and even had a chance to tell him the good news that our sister organization (RED) made a documentary called The Lazarus Effect which details how cheap US investments in the Global Fund can bring people from brink of death, back to a full, healthy, and productive life that allows for them to work and provide for themselves and their families. These recent success stories are in a large part due to the historic and heroic efforts of elected leaders – Democrats and Republicans alike – like Senator Santorum, who have ensured that the US leads the way in the fight against global AIDS.
The US Senate race is heating up, but as ONE members, we know that we can use our voices in order to ensure that the next class of US Senators continue the great bi-partisan work of saving lives in the poorest nations on Earth.
Election season is gearing up in Florida, and so are we. As senate candidates hit the campaign trail between now and November, ONE will be there to ask them what they plan to do about extreme poverty if they win. Right now, we’re focusing on 6 states in particular: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Hampshire, and Ohio.
Between now and election day, ONE will be working hard to engage Senate candidates from all parties in a conversation about crucial issues like extreme poverty and global development. A non-partisan effort, ONE Vote 2010 is making sure candidates know that voters in their state want to hear their positions on poverty fighting solutions. We will be at campaign rallies, in the town halls, and eating cotton candy with the best of them at county fairs – if the candidates are there, so are ONE members.
I really hope you can join us. In 2008, we ran a similar effort to get all major presidential candidates “On the Record” and now the president, vice president, and secretary of state are on the record saying what they’d do to fight extreme poverty.
To sign up for your state team, click here.
Here in Colorado, ONE has been catching up with all of the Senate candidates from bother parties, as part of ONE Vote 2010. Last night I spoke with Andrew Romanoff at a house party in Denver.
After addressing the crowd, Romanoff immediatley recognized my ONE shirt and came over, and even before I could get out the ONE bands, he extended his arm for one. As an ambassador for our OVE Vote 08 effort, Romanoff is already familiar with our efforts to unite and urge our leaders to take urgent action to help fight preventable dieases like AIDS and malaria, and combatt hunger, strarvation and extreme poverty.
I spoke with Romanoff about the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria and how the Global Fund it is proven and accountable tool that has already saved millions of lives in Africa. I went on to tell him about how our sister organization (RED) partnered with HBO to make a doccumentary called The Lazarus Effect to show how 40 cent-a-day pills are saving lives in Africa.
ONE Vote 2010 is just beginning, but its clear that politicians on both sides of the aisle, and throughout the country, are recognizing the importance of fighting poverty just as they did during ONE Vote 08. In 2010, we know how to fight preventable diseases and extreme poverty, we know how to build off the sucess of the past few years and continue our efforts to save millions of lives – all of this is possible, but it starts with you and it starts with your voice!
Written with Michael Hidalgo:
On Sunday, the world stood still for 120 minutes to watch Spain play the Netherlands as each team attempted to do something neither had ever accomplished…win the World Cup. It is estimated that more than 700,000,000 people tuned in to watch the match. At least 2,000 of those were gathered in the streets outside British Bulldog in Denver.
The British Bulldog, well known for its philanthropic spirit, spotlighted ONE and Ten Thousand Nets at its World Cup Final Match Watch Party, which served as the launch for ONE Vote 2010 in Colorado. ONE Vote 2010 is reaching out to Senate candidates, both Republicans and Democrats, in an effort to engage them on ONE’s issues.
More than 150 people signed up as new ONE members and others donated money for malaria bednets to Ten Thousand Nets. Denver Channel 31 put ONE on camera. During half-time, Malaria Griot Michael Hidalgo from Ten Thousand Nets addressed the crowd in his ONE t-shirt. As if cheering for the World Cup, the crowd was excited when he told them that they could save a life for the cost of a $10 bed net. In front of thousands he announced the launch of ONE Vote 2010.
The Ten Thousand Nets campaign is Denver’s campaign to fight malaria. Malaria is a killer that, during the time the World Cup was played, claimed an estimated 75,000 lives. Ten Thousand Nets and ONE are committed to seeing that number drop to zero. Those at the party were invited to give $10 towards a lifesaving bednet by texting ‘DENVER’ to 85944. Local artist Jessica Wright donated proceeds of her World Cup themed paintings to purchase life-saving bednets through Ten Thousand Nets.
Thank you to the British Bulldog for hosting such an exciting event and letting us be part of it!
-Michael Hidalgo, Malaria Griot and Nick Stevens, ONE Vote 2010 Colorado State Field Organizer
The Colorado Senate race is speeding towards the August 10 primary and ONE covered some serious ground this weekend. ONE Congressional District Leader Megan Marsh and volunteers Andrea Staebell and Kelly Hedgecock (pictured) caught up with Senator Michael Bennet in Colorado Springs on Monday. Senator Bennet immediately recognized their ONE t-shirts and noted that it was the third time he had seen ONE in just over a week. Megan thanked him for his receptive staff, which she had met during a ONE lobby visit.
On Saturday, I caught up with Senator Bennet in Boulder, Colorado. Senator Mark Udall, Congressmen Jared Polis and Colorado Senate President Brandon Shaffer were there to support Senator Bennet’s campaign and I got the chance to talk to all four men. I thanked both Senator Udall and State Senator Shaffer for being ONE Ambassadors during the ONE Vote ’08 Campaign, and Congressman Polis also expressed his support for the campaign. I told Senator Bennet more about our campaign and Senator Udall promised to discuss it with him.
Many thanks to all four Colorado US Senate candidates who have taken the time to speak with ONE members during the run-up to the primary!
Former Colorado Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff has been touring the state of Colorado this weekend building support for his race for the US Senate. I managed to catch up with him at a house party to talk with him about ONE. He was more than familiar with the organization and happily took a ONE band. While he was Speaker of the House the state legislature declared Colorado a State of ONE with strong bipartisan support and he even endorsed our campaign as a ONE Ambassador.
Romanoff told me that international development is one of the main reasons he got into politics. He saw poverty first-hand while teaching English in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and he recently took a trip to Nigeria. I thanked him for his work for the poor and told him to keep an eye out for ONE volunteers at events as we begin the ONE Vote 2010 Campaign.
This weekend, I once again had the pleasure of traveling to attend a ONE member workshop– this time in Denver, Colorado. For those who haven’t been able to attend one in your community yet, these workshops are an opportunity for ONE members from a wide array of backgrounds and past experiences with ONE, to assemble, collaborate with one another, and learn more about the issues we advocate for. For me personally, it was a chance to meet with ONE members directly, who are doing great work in their states and in their communities in the fight against extreme poverty.
The group of 60 or so that gathered for the workshop in Denver on Saturday were extremely diverse. Some were very engaged on these issues already, and some just came out to see what ONE was all about. The workshop– led by Regional Field Director Matt Higginson– touched on an array of subjects, from the ins and outs of advocacy, to the budget process in Washington, to the great work already happening on the ground in developing countries.
Two of the attendees were Megan Marsh and Joe Marsh, two Congressional District Leaders (in districts 5 and 6, respectively) who also happen to be siblings. Both have been ONE members for a few years and were very much involved with ONE’s work around the Democratic National Convention in 2008.
At one point during the workshop, we got to hear from State Representative Joe Miklosi (District 9) who talked about the importance of engaging our elected officials through visits and letters. He also talked about his organization Project C.U.R.E. and the great work they’re doing delivering medical supplies, services, and equipment in the developing world.
All in all, it was a great workshop. To find one in your community, just click here.
PS– Patty Manwaring of BeadforLife was also at the workshop, along with a bunch of their handmade bead jewelry. You can read more about their work here.
