Daily Dose: April 2 - Chip Away Malaria

Oswego native Ryan Lambert helped form Chip Away Malaria on the campus of Central Michigan University.

Says Lambert:
"I've always wanted to become a basketball coach at the Division I level, so I've been working towards that. I'm a student manager for the men's basketball team at Central Michigan for all five years I've been here. I really want to do that. But, with that being said, my eyes have been opened to another avenue, another route I could do."

And that avenue? Non-profit work to benefit the less fortunate.

"Over the past three years we've been able to raise over $25,000," Lambert said. "In the first year we had a free throw shooting fundraiser, we've had a 3-on-3 basketball tournament on campus, had a dodgeball tournament. We've used sport a lot as a platform to bring people together and let them have fun and at the same time they get to learn about the effects in Africa from Malaria."

And all this despite a struggling economy at home, especially in Michigan - one of the hardest hit states in the country.

"I always set lofty goals and we always have as a group to kind of push ourselves, but we're definitely kind of surprised, especially this year, to see so many people willing to (donate). We're just so, so thankful for every single person that's donated and assisted us in any of our fundraising events. It's a wonderful thing. I think the hardest part about it is getting people to connect and empathize with the problems that are going millions of miles away from us, especially when we're dealing with difficult times in our country and in our backyards now."