St. Louis Businesses Launch Challenge to Aid Haitian Earthquake Victims

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ST. LOUIS BUSINESSES LAUNCH CHALLENGE TO AID HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
Meds & Food for Kids, Novus International and World Trade Center Saint Louis Launch New Campaign to Raise $100,000 to Provide Life-Saving Peanut-Based Food to Victims


St. Louis, Mo., February 3, 2010 – “Medika Mamba,” a fortified, peanut-butter-based, ready-to-use-therapeutic food (RUTF) endorsed by the World Health Organization and UNICEF could well be one of the most effective life-savers among victims of the disastrous earthquakes in Haiti. Three St. Louis-area organizations are working hard to ensure that this lifeline continues to be available during the disaster relief period and beyond.

Meds & Food for Kids (MFK), a St. Louis based non-profit with operations in Haiti since 2003, is the focus of a $100,000 Challenge Campaign launched today by Novus International in partnership with the World Trade Center Saint Louis. The goal of the challenge campaign is to raise $100,000 by Friday, February 12, to fund the production of as much Medika Mamba as possible to help the injured and malnourished Haitian children and their families.

The latest death toll in Haiti is estimated at 150,000, with thousands more buried in mass graves. An estimated 2 million Haitians are homeless or living in make-shift shelters, and 250,000 are in dire need of urgent care, according to government reports.
In support of this initiative, Novus International President and Chief Executive Officer Thad Simons issued communication to all worldwide Novus employees urging them to make earthquake relief donations to MFK or similar organizations committed to assisting Haiti from disaster through to rebuilding. Novus International, a St. Charles-based company and a leading developer of animal health and nutrition programs for the poultry, pork, beef, dairy, aquaculture, and companion animal industries worldwide, made the first corporate donation of $10,000 to the Challenge Campaign. Additionally, Novus will match employee donations, dollar-for-dollar.

St. Louis area residents, businesses and corporations are urged to donate to MFK by clicking on Medika Mamba Challenge or by visiting the following bit URL: http://bit.ly/a3CVCE.