Villanueva met with President George W. Bush in Hartford, Connecticut, on April 25, 2008, as part of World Malaria Day. (Getty)

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May 7, 2008

MILWAUKEE -- Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva joined President George W. Bush and the Connecticut Sun's Tamika Raymond on April 25 in Hartford, CT, as part of World Malaria Day. The event took place at the Northwest Boys & Girls Club. Bucks.com caught up with Villanueva for a quick Q&A session:

What was it like to meet George Bush?

Meeting President Bush was fantastic. He’s a lot shorter than I thought (laughter). He had a great attitude and he’s full of jokes. Plus, he remembered my UConn NCAA National Championship from back in 2004. I was also impressed with the excessive security measures taken to coordinate the whole event. There were Secret Service and Police every where. I got searched at least 3 different times, 3 different ways.

Can you explain your involvement with the Boys and Girls Club and why you were a part of this event?

Well, the first Boys & Girls Club was founded in 1860 by several women in Hartford, Connecticut. Since I have the connection to Connecticut because of UConn, I was invited as a representative of the NBA to raise awareness and money related to the worldwide battle against Malaria. President Bush was there to present awards to children in the Club that have done an amazing job fundraising for the cause. Over 150 Boys and Girls Clubs nationwide have joined the President's Malaria initiative and raised over $25,000 dollars to buy bed nets for people in Africa where the disease is widespread but preventable. Mosquitoes spread the disease through bites. Prevent the bites, prevent Malaria. There’s a program called Nothing But Nets, which allows the NBA Cares to join forces with the United Nations Foundation to not only raise awareness for Malaria, but to allow our fans to be an active part of the fight against the disease. For a donation of ten dollars, our fans can not only purchase a bed net, but have the knowledge the bed net will be delivered to the people that need them the most through the impressive fulfillment process.

Did you have a chance to talk with the President before or after the event?

I talked to President Bush briefly before and after the event. I handed him a ‘Nothing But Nets’ t-shirts on behalf of myself and the NBA Cares group. He was thankful. We also took a one-on-one picture together at the end.

Is World Malaria Day something you've always been a part of?

Actually, this is something that is all new to me. I’m thankful that I was given the opportunity to able to educate myself with the problems in Africa caused by Malaria. Malaria is a leading cause of death of children in Africa, killing nearly one million children each year. Every day 3,000 children die from the disease. Could you believe that, it’s horrifying. Although $10 for a bed net may not sound like much, in an area where many people survive on less than $1 a day, it can save many lives.

How important is it for kids to have role models like yourself?

I believe roles models are there to provide our younger generation with leadership for a better tomorrow. The reason I do this is because I care, because I was once that child that lacked self-esteem. We are here as role models to help them build morals and positive values, teach children to set attainable goals, and provide direction in achieving their goals. Most importantly, you lead by example. I want to be viewed as a walking example for children to follow showing them that their dreams and goals can be fulfilled when you believe.