|
Concert
to End Polio a resounding success
|
|
 At a reception
following the Concert to End Polio, Rotary
Foundation Trustee Chair Glenn E. Estess Sr. (left) presents an award
to violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman in appreciation of his help in
fighting polio. Rotary Images/Alyce Henson
The
Concert to End Polio, which brought
together
Rotarians and friends of Rotary on
2
December, raised more than US$100,000
toward
Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge. Violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman
played to a sold-out audience in New York City's Avery Fisher Hall at
the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
Perlman
received several standing ovations
during
the fundraiser. The organization joined
with
Perlman and the world-renowned New
York
Philharmonic for the first time to present
the
event.
The
polio eradication effort resonates strongly with Perlman, who
contracted the disease at age four and overcame physical challenges
to
become
one of the world's most celebrated
musicians,
winning 15 Grammy Awards as well
as
a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
Rotary
Foundation Trustee Chair Glenn E. Estess Sr. presented Perlman with
an award for his help in fighting polio during a reception after
the concert.
"There's
no reason anyone should get this disease," said Perlman.
|
|
Rotarians spotlight the challenge on World Polio Day
|
 In their first home game of the season, the Deutsche
Bank Skyliners basketball team of Frankfurt donned End Polio Now
shirts to do battle with the Telekom Baskets of Bonn. Although the
Skyliners lost 74 to 67, they signed the shirts after the game, which
were sold to raise funds for Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge.
The family of Rotary turned out around the globe on 24
October - World Polio Day - to raise support for Rotary's US$200
Million Challenge and promote polio eradication. Nearly 1,000 Rotary
clubs in Germany carried out a national fundraising campaign during
the week of 19 October. Highlights included screenings of the Academy
Award-nominated documentary The
Final Inch in Berlin and Cologne, sales of a benefit CD
set featuring international recording artists, and a professional
basketball game in Frankfurt.
The Rotary Club of Hamburg Hafencity, officially
chartered 7 November, raised about US$29,700 through sales of the CD
set. The Rotary Club of Berlin International, also chartered on
that date, garnered $11,111 through a donation drive of used cell phones
for recycling, along with other activities. Among other highlights:
· Rotarians in Austria netted more than
$297,000 by selling packets of sunflower
seeds nationwide for $7.50 each.
· A World Polio Day Dinner sponsored by the
Rotary clubs of Abilene, Abilene Wednesday,
and Abilene Southwest, Texas, USA, and
featuring RI President-elect Ray Klinginsmith
as guest speaker, raised more than $50,000.
· District 7610 (Virginia, USA) coordinated a
Final Inch for Polio Eradication Walk of 24.6 miles from Herndon,
Virginia, to the White House in Washington, D.C., raising almost
$10,000 for the challenge.
· A bike-a-thon sponsored by the Rotary Club
of Bali Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia, garnered $1,500.
· Fifty Spanish actors, singers, members of
royalty, fashion models, and other celebrities
took part in a nationwide End Polio Now media blitz organized by
Severino Betancort, a member of the Rotary Club of Lanzarote and an
RI Public Image Resource Group coordinator.
· Italy's national basketball league, Lega Basket Serie A, announced
in October it is has
adopted the End Polio Now slogan for the 2009-10 season to help
promote support for
eradication of the disease.
· In an ongoing effort, the Rotary Club of
Victoria, Texas, USA, is making "Join the Challenge, Stamp
Out Polio" stamps available to clubs and districts in support of
Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge. Cost: $10 per sheet of 10. To
order or find out more, go to www.victoriarotary.org/stamps.
|
|
District
enlists polio Eradicators
|
 District 6780's
Eradicator club
badge
sticker and club
banner
patch
Carol Foster, governor of District 6780(Tennessee,
USA), has asked every Rotarian
in the district to contribute $40 - little more than $0.10 a day - to
eradicate polio. Rotarians
who do so receive an Eradicator sticker for their club badge. When a
club averages $40 per member, it receives an Eradicator patch
for its club banner. The patches are distributed
at the district conference to underscore the
importance of the achievement.
|
|
Social
Networking
|
|
Rotarians,
Rotaractors, and Interactors who are registered on www.facebook.com,
www.linkedin.com,
and www.twitter.com are
urged to share their Rotary's challenge fundraising stories so others
can gain ideas for launching fundraisers in their communities.
|
|
|
|
|
Rotary's
challenge hits the halfway mark
|
|
As
of 31 December, US$105 million has been raised for Rotary's US$200
Million Challenge. Achievement of the fundraising milestone was
announced at the Concert to End Polio.
"In
the face of difficult economic times, Rotarians are heartily
commended for their steadfast commitment and resourcefulness in
reaching this milestone of support for global polio
eradication," says Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Glenn E.
Estess Sr.
"Rotary's
challenge ends 30 June 2012. Let's push confidently ahead to reach
our goal and help ensure that all the children of the world will be
forever safe from this devastating disease."
|
|
RISING
TO THE CHALLENGE
|
|
Rotary's
US$200 Million Challenge totals*
US$105M
*As of 31 December
2009
|
|
Pies
for PolioPlus a smash hit
|
 Rotary Foundation General Manager John Osterlund
takes a pie in the
face for
Rotary's challenge
District 5960 (parts
of Minnesota and Wisconsin, USA) came up with the perfect recipe for
supporting Rotary's challenge during its Rotary Foundation
Celebration in November: a Pies for PolioPlus auction. The auction
was inspired by an event held during the Zones 28 and 29
Institute in October, at which RI Director Thomas Thorfinnson took a
pie in the face in return for a Rotarian's $1,500 donation to the
challenge.
"During our
district celebration, we auctioned off virtual polio vaccine carriers
- one carrier for $600 to immunize 1,000 kids," says Past
District Governor Jon Stillman, zone challenge coordinator for Zone
28. A minimum contribution of $1,200 to cover the cost of two
carriers was required to throw a pie.
"Our featured
speaker, [Rotary Foundation General Manager] John Osterlund,
volunteered to take a pie for the cause. District Governor Newell
Krogmann took another," Stillman says. Jingle Mahan of the
Rotary Club of Roseville, Minnesota, took a third pie, followed by
Group Study Exchange team leader Jim Hunt of the Rotary Club of White
Bear Lake, who took a pie purchased by Greg Lauer, one of the
non-Rotarian team members.
"All in all, we
raised in excess of $6,000 with the Pies for PolioPlus auction and
had a lot of fun," Stillman says.
|
|
Polio Facts
& Figures
|
|
|
For the latest on the
number of polio cases, progress reports on polio-endemic countries,
and other information, go to www.polioeradication.org.
|
|
Tools and Resources
|
Clubs and districts can order the following tools and
resources online at http://shop.rotary.org
or from Publications Order Services (e-mail: shop.rotary@rotary.org;
tel.: 847-866-4600; fax: 847-866-3276); or the international office
serving their area.
�
Rotary's
US$200 Million Challenge DVD(985) provides an
overview of Rotary's continuing efforts to eradicate polio and the
fundraising initiative to match the Gates Foundation grants. (US$15)
�
Rotary's
US$200 Million Challenge brochure (986) describes
Rotary's commitment to finish polio and encourages support for the
challenge. (Free)
�
Amazing
Stories of Polio! (976) is a 16-page illustrated
history of the disease and the eradication effort. ($0.75)
�
PolioPlus
Headliner Kit (Web only) contains a sample news
feature, a press release, an opinion piece, and a letter to the
editor, all easily adaptable in local communities to promote global
polio eradication.
�
Rotary's
US$200 Million Challenge poster (987) encourages
participation in the challenge. Suitable for display at meetings,
fundraisers, and other events. (Free, limit two per order)
�
End Polio Now
Pins (988) help raise awareness of the eradication
effort. (Available in lots of 100 for $50)
-Donors in the
United States, Canada, and Australia can automatically transfer funds
electronically from their checking, savings, or credit card
accounts by enrolling in TRF-DIRECT. Once enrolled, donors can
contribute to PolioPlus to support Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge.
-Watch polio eradication videos and public service announcements on
the Rotary
International YouTube channel and include the link on Rotary club
and district Web sites.
-Join The Rotary Foundation's End Polio Now cause page on Facebook. Make
a donation to support polio eradication, invite others to be part of
the cause, and keep track of how many people you've recruited.
|
|
Text
POLIO to contribute US$5
|
|
Rotarians and
non-Rotarians in the United States can help support polio eradication
by texting POLIO to 90999.
A one-time
donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted
from your prepaid balance. You will also receive up to 1 message per
day from The Rotary Foundaton Alerts. Msg&Data Rates May Apply.
All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service
provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are
collected for the benefit of The Rotary Foundaton by the mGive
Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.mGive.com/A.
To unsubscribe text STOP to 90999, for help text HELP to 90999.
Privacy Policy http://mgive.com/PrivacyPolicy.aspx.
|
|
|
|
