Eat ice cream, fight malaria.

That’s the invitation from Wesley United Methodist Church in Aurora.

From 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, the church will partner with Oberweis Ice Cream and Dairy, 951 Ice Cream Dr. in North Aurora, in a fundraiser for the church’s Imagine No Malaria campaign.

The church will receive up to 30 percent of purchases made during the promotion.

For the church to receive the donation, patrons must present a fundraiser coupon. The coupon is available from the church office, 14 N. May St. in Aurora. Office hours are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

Rev. John Bell, Wesley pastor, said the church pledged $13,000 to the United Methodist Northern Illinois Conference drive to raise $1 million for Imagine No Malaria.

Imagine No Malaria is part of a global partnership of United Methodists and others to end malaria by using mosquito-proof bed nets, providing medicine and diagnostic tests and draining standing water. Improved sanitation methods have cut malaria deaths by more than half.

In Wesley children’s church, youth learned about malaria, helping other people and how the pennies they collected can help with malaria education, medicine, preventative care and treatment by doctors.

About malaria, Imagine No Malaria

The United Methodist Church’s Imagine No Malaria campaign is part of a global partnership to end malaria by using mosquito-proof bed nets, providing medicine and diagnostic tests and draining standing water. Improved sanitation methods have cut malaria deaths by more than half.

In sub-Saharan Africa, malaria kills a child every two minutes.

Malaria is caused by a parasite transmitted to humans through the bite of the female anopheles mosquito.

The mosquito feeds at night. When an infected mosquito bites a person, the parasite enters the bloodstream and multiplies in the liver.

Then it reenters the bloodstream, attacking red blood cells. Symptoms are high fever, chills, headaches and joint pain,

Untreated symptoms lead to organ failure.

About 90 percent of malaria victims are children under age 5 and pregnant women.

John Ross

Founder, Editor & Publisher at XPian News

John Ross on Saturday, April 23, 2016 launched XPian News, a part of  Daybreak Communications, Inc. Ross is the facilitator of Aurora Christian Ministry Network (ACMN) and a member of the Fox Valley Christian Ministerial Alliance (FVCMA). He serves on the boards of Wayside Cross Ministries and the Kiwanis Club of Aurora. As a follower of Jesus, he has been for some 40 years a member of First Presbyterian Church - Aurora. He has an M.A. - Christian Leadership from Wheaton College Graduate School and undergraduate at Trinity International University.  editor@xpian.news