April 2010 Archives

The African Well Fund is auctioning pairs of general admission tickets to U2 360 Tour concert stops in Anaheim, Philadelphia and Salt Lake City during the final week of the Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser. Opening bids for the tickets will be $110.

One pair of general admission tickets for the July 12 show at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, the June 6 show at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California, and the June 3 opening night show at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City will be up for auction beginning Monday, May 3 and ending Saturday, May 8.

To place a bid in any of the ticket auctions, click here.

The African Well Fund is aiming to raise $50,000 to fund a clean water and sanitation project in Zimbabwe in honor of Bono's 50th birthday. The 50-day fundraiser began on March 22 and will conclude on May 10, Bono's birthday. To make a donation, click here. To learn more about the project in Zimbabwe, read the project proposal here.

The Crossroads Second Chance North/Fulton County Schools are hosting the 1st Annual Well Run 5K at Sweet Apple Elementary School in Roswell, Georgia, this Saturday to benefit the African Well Fund. The run, which features a three-loop course on flat, hard-packed gravel, begins at 8 a.m.

Awards will be presented to the top three males and females in Open and Masters categories. Free NikeTechnical T-shirts, food and fluids will be given away during the Well Run.

There is a $30 race-day registration fee.

For more information, or to register for the Well Run, click here.

The seventh graders at North Middle School in Belleville, Michigan, are once again raising money for the African Well Fund. Their annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser will be held on Thursday, April 29 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the school, 47097 McBride in Belleville.

The dinner will feature a 50/50 raffle, door prizes and an informational presentation. Prizes being given away at the dinner include a certificate for a one-night stay at the Hilton garden Inn in Romulus, a certificate for a one-night stay at the Embassy Suites at Detroit Metro Airport, gift baskets and gift certificates to local restaurants. A $3 per person donation is requested for the dinner. For an additional donation of $1 or more, guests will have the opportunity to play volleyball or basketball in the school gym during the dinner.

This is the third year that North Middle School seventh graders have worked to raise money for AWF. The school has raised over $15,000 with its past fundraisers.

For more information, visit the North Middle School website.

Mother's Day is May 9th, just two weeks away. By purchasing gifts for the special women in your life from the African Well Fund or its affiliates, you can help fund a clean water and sanitation project that will benefit 2,200 people in the Buhera District of Zimbabwe.

Limited-Edition Prints
Purchase hand-signed and numbered prints by artist Azalea Millet for the Bono fan in your life. The two available prints measure 11x17 and are reproduced on white medium-glossy paper. The first print is a reproduction of an original gouache painting of Bono holding an African child from a trip to Ghana in 2002, and includes the Bono Street Team name along with the Bono quote, "This is our moment ... to Stand Up for what is right." The second print is a reproduction of an original gouache painting of Bono and includes the lyrics "We're one but we're not the same. We get to carry each other ..." from the song "One." Bono signed the original painting for the artist and this special-edition print includes a reproduction of the signature.

African Well Fund Merchandise
Give the gift of water in honor of a special mom by purchasing a Well Share. Also available for purchase are AWF water bottles and stickers.

African Well Fund Zazzle Store
Merchandise available includes T-shirts, bags and mugs featuring several AWF designs.

African Well Fund Affiliates
Make purchases from Amazon.com, iTunes or Netflix using the links provided and AWF will earn a percentage of the sale.

GoodShop
Indicate on the site that you support African Well Fund (Schenectady, NY) and your purchases from over 1,000 stores, including 1-800-Flowers, The Apple Store, Best Buy, Expedia, Macy's and Williams-Sonoma, can earn money for AWF. Coupon codes and deals are also available through the site.

The African Well Fund's U2 live photo auction starts this Sunday, April 18, at noon Eastern Time and ends next Sunday, April 25. All proceeds from this auction will benefit Build a Well for Bono's Birthday, which aims to raise $50,000 to fund a clean water and sanitation project in Zimbabwe in honor of Bono's 50th birthday.

The auction will feature over 30 photos taken by fans and professionals, ranging in size from 5x7 to 16x20, and capturing U2 live moments from the War Tour in 1983 through the 2009 leg of the 360 Tour. Preview the photos up for bid here.

This is the third auction of U2 concert photos that the African Well Fund has hosted. The first, held in 2006, raised over $11,000; the second, held in 2007, raised over $7,000.

To place a bid, visit the auction here. For more information on Build a Well for Bono's Birthday, click here.

The Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon, is hosting a U2charist service this Saturday, April 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. All money collected during the offering will be donated to the Build a Well for Bono's Birthday project in Zimbabwe. The service will feature an assortment of instruments and inter-generational musicians leading the service in songs from U2's 30-year career.

For more information on the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral U2charist service, visit Facebook

By Devlin Smith

Southern California artist Azalea Millet has donated hand-signed and numbered limited-edition prints of two of her paintings of Bono to the African Well Fund. The prints will be sold for $50 each to benefit the Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser's goal of raising $50,000 to fund a clean water and sanitation project in Zimbabwe in honor of Bono's 50th birthday.

The first print, numbers 6 through 100 of 100, was originally created for the Bono Street Team's recent pre-Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser and features Bono holding an African child and the quote, "This is our moment ... to stand up for what's right," from the 2005 Live8 concert. The second, numbers 1 through 50 of 50, is a print of a painting featuring Bono and the lyric, "We're one but we're not the same. We get to carry each other." The original painting was signed by Bono for Millet and the print will feature a reproduction of the singer's signature.

Millet answered a few questions about her artwork and why she wanted it to be used to raise money for the African Well Fund.

How long have you been a painter?
Painting is a new passion for me. I discovered my love of art a few years ago when I took my first drawing class just for fun. I started painting pictures of Bono as practice and was pleasantly surprised when they ended up looking better than I expected.

What inspired you to create these portraits of Bono and U2?
I have always been inspired by music, U2 in particular. I wanted to create strong yet fun pieces that would appeal to U2 fans and this was a way to express my creativity through something that is close to my heart.

How do you choose the lyric or quote that appears on each portrait?
U2 songs have special meaning which allows each fan to interpret the lyrics in their own way. I appreciate how Bono incorporates his faith into songs using Biblical references. To me, U2 lyrics express faith, love and hope, so I select lyrics that I feel best convey those messages. I enjoy listening for the spiritual aspect in the lyrics and I hope to encourage others to do the same.

Why did you want to create the painting that has been turned into a limited-edition print to be given away by the Bono Street Team and sold by AWF for the Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser?
I admire Bono Street Team for their dedication in helping raise awareness of the devastation caused by poverty and their support of Bono's activism. I was thrilled when my friend Dion Simte, founder of Bono Street Team, contacted me to paint a picture to be given away as an incentive for their fundraiser. God gives each one of us gifts and I have been blessed with the chance to put mine to good purpose.

What was the inspiration for this piece?
The inspiration comes from this warm moment when Bono holds this African child, showing his love, compassion and devotion to helping those in need. Bono's commitment to his calling has motivated me to search my heart and put my own faith into action.

What are the dimensions of the prints?
Original artwork is done in gouache painting on 10- x 15-inch size illustration board and reproduced on 11- x 17-inch size, medium surface, white paper.

In addition to creating this limited-edition piece, you are also donating 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of your artwork through your website to AWF's Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser. Why did you want to make this additional donation?
Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser is a great occasion to take action for a cause and I wanted to make the most out of it. I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for AWF and its mission to provide villages in Africa with clean water by building wells. I want to show my support by doing all I can to help them raise money to meet their goal of $50,000 for Bono's 50th birthday.

Your "Blessing" artwork is serving as the basis for the logos for Build a Well for Bono's Birthday. How does it feel to have your art used help promote this effort?
I am more than honored. It is such a privilege to be able to contribute to such a worthy cause and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be of service.

To purchase Millet's limited-edition prints, or to learn more about Build a Well for Bono's Birthday, click here.