FutureBrand

Team Malaria No More

In our continued partnership with Malaria No More, we are delighted to have a FutureBrand representative running the ING New York Marathon for another year on behalf on Malaria No More. Jeffrey Stasz of FutureBrand New York took some time out of his training schedule to talk to us about his preparations for the race and what Malaria No More means to him.

Q. Hi Jeffrey, just as an introduction, tell us how long you have been at FutureBrand and what team you work in?

A. I have been working at FutureBrand for a little over a year, in Business Development.

Q. Why did you decide to run?

A. Some college friends have been pressuring me to run a marathon for a few years. One morning I got bet/dared to run New York with a friend and signed up that same morning.

Q. Is this your first marathon?

A. Yes

Q. So, how is the training going?

A. Training for a marathon is really a lot of running. I like to explore while I run and have found it to be a great way to get to know the city. So far my favorite run has been a section between Coney Island and Prospect Park along Ocean Parkway. It is mile 15-19 on my long run and is so unlike the rest of New York architecturally that you forget you are running in the city. I have also gotten into morning running which is a neat way to start your day. New York is actually asleep and quiet at 5 or 5:30 and it gives me time to think and get ready for my day. The trade-off is that I am usually ready for bed at around 9 PM.

Q. What does Malaria No More mean to you?

A. Malaria is a really terrible disease but because it affects people in poor countries that are pretty far away and because the best treatments are simple tools like mosquito nets, I feel like it gets less attention then some of the other causes out there. That is not to say the other causes are less worthy or people are heartless, they are not, it’s just harder to connect to an abstraction and Malaria is an abstraction for most people. Also, mosquito nets are not the most breathtaking technology so anyone working to prevent this disease has to make it real and convince people that a 25 cent net is the best prevention. I mean think about how absurd that is…a curable and preventable disease kills hundreds of thousands each year because folks either can’t get or don’t use a widely available and pretty cheap net.  So, I like that Malaria No More is trying to make malaria real for people in the developed world and prevent it for people everywhere else.

Q. Tell us a bit about Malaria No More, and their relationship with FutureBrand.

A. I started working here after our relationship with Malaria No More had been formed but I think it is great that we chose to get involved. I mean, it’s ridiculous that anyone dies from a preventable and curable disease. I also think our organizations have a lot in common (beyond a penchant for orange). We both look for the right solution to a challenge rather than the ‘fanciest’ solution and I think that is important. When I worked in Mongolia people always said “your school needs computers” and I always answered, “we don’t have electricity, what we need are black boards and chalk”.

I think what makes the Malaria No More and FutureBrand relationship a strong one is that both organizations ask if electricity is available before recommending a bunch of new computers. Put differently, we try to understand a problem or challenge before we recommend a solution and in both of our business’ that represents a level of humility that is sadly hard to come by.

Q. What has the FutureBrand team in New York been like, are they being supportive?

A. The team here has been great.

Q. Donating to a cause is a very personal thing and is certainly everyone’s own choice whether or not they donate. If you could say one thing to encourage people to click the link (below) and donate on your page, what would you say?

A. I know this time of year a lot of people and organizations are hitting you up for money. However, not all those organizations provide recipes in their solicitations. More seriously, donating money is a really personal thing and lots of people have commitments to things they care passionately about, if this is something you care about and would like to support the cause that would be great.

Q. Anything else you want to add?

A. That is all. Thanks.

FB: Thanks for your time Jeffrey, good luck for the race.

If you would like to learn more about Malaria No More and FutureBrand, or would like to visit Jeffrey’s sponsorship page, please follow the links below.

Jeffrey’s sponsorship page: http://bit.ly/toM7fv

FutureBrand & Malaria No More: http://www.futurebrand.com/about/we-care/

Malaria No More: http://www.malarianomore.org/?geo=GB#