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pix of D7150 NID's trip to India Feb. 2004 |
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Eradication Status & Gap |
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 2/04 - Driving down the roads in India upon arrival |
 The Rotary Banner draped across chools yards & roads |
 2/04 - Photos of homes in the area Terry went to |
 Vaccine vials being removed from ice-filled container |
 2/04 - Above: Terry, Joan, & Anne transporting containers; Right: getting bandaids, stickers & tokens ready to give to children after their vaccinations |
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 2/04 - Rotarian Elias Thomas giving vaccine drops |
 2/04 - Rotarian Terry Heron giving vaccine drops |
 2/04 - D7150's Terry meets D3010 DG Haresh Sood |
 2/04 - L. to R. at farewell dinner: Terry, Elias, Sherry, & Peggy - a marvelous journey & Rotary experience |
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Polio National Immunization Day (NID) - February 22, 2004 - Delhi, India Terry Heron (President Sauquoit Club), Sherry Menninger (Treasurer Chittenango Club) and Peggy Duhamel, (Secretary, Chittenango Rotary Club) had the good fortune and lifetime adventure of traveling with 3 dozen other Rotarians from all over the US, Canada and the UK to participate in this latest NID. Our trip was organized and led by PDG Elias Thomas III, who had spoken at our District Conference in Chautauqua about his previous NID experience in India. They were hosted by the Rotary Club of Delhi West, District 3010, who held a welcoming reception for them, then escorted them on the following day on visits to four of their ongoing projects. At each site they were greeted with songs, flower petals, tea, refreshments and given an informative tour by the director and staff. Each site was impressive in its accomplishments, vast in its ongoing needs and tore at our heartstrings in different ways. February 22, the day of NID, the city of Delhi was strung with bright yellow banners and the billboards were covered with posters bearing the Rotary Wheel, supplied by Rotary and announcing the date of the vaccination. The message on the banners translated to read "truth always wins". Sherry and Peggy were placed in the host home of Dr. Krishna Taneja, PP of Delhi Safdarjung Club, an all female club of 55 members half of whom were physicians. They spent the day with their host, in a remote and very rural region south of Delhi doing what she normally does on NID dates. Each club who participates in Polio Eradication is assigned a different distribution center. From there, the work of Rotary volunteers is to transport the vaccines, log books and other supplies to the vaccination booths where the drops are actually administered. Terry spent her day with the Delhi West club in the slums of Delhi itself. She report she was fortunate to be able to travel with one of the team doctors as they picked up the boxes of vaccine and delivered them to various distribution points throughout Delhi. Some went to medical facilities, others to school yards, but the most memorable to Terry was a store front in the slums, where a shop owner had volunteered the use of his small, cluttered, meager surroundings so others could benefit from this. While her hosts turned over to her the administering of the vaccine to her, Terry reports they all worked as a team, sharing the responsibility of administering the drops to the children, painting the cuticles with Gentian Violet to identify the children who had received the vacinne, and distributing colorful stickers and other small tokens to the immunized children. Local volunteers handled the administrative end, kept track of numbers & helped with language barriers. Terry says “It was truly amazing to see the power of Rotary at work, to have such precious little children handed over to a stranger, with no doubt or hesitation, and then receive a smile or bow from the parent to acknowledge mission accomplished. Peggy shares that while their experiences were different they were all impressed with what a fairly routine well oiled procedure this has become. Clubs have been doing this four times a year. Each person had a specific role. Vaccine drops are normally given by a nurse, a medical student or other medical personnel paid by the Indian Ministry of Health. The assistants man each booth from 8am until 4pm. She and Sherry piled into a hired vehicle with its driver (no one wanted their car ruined by the bad roads), Dr. Krishna, a government official (who spoke no English and whose job was to make sure employees showed up at the sites and were following procedures), and a medical student, and bounced off down the unpaved roads, horn blaring, banner streaming out the back window, scattering cows, chickens, children, pigs, sleeping cots, bicycles and carts which slowed our path from one village to the next. We visited 6 booths in 6 villages. Our first stop was Faturiberi, a cluster of mud homes with no window or door coverings, a single tube well, a variety of tarps or metal sheets for roofing, the omnipresent trickle of sewage and oily residue running in a gully along the roadside. Our arrival and the sight of our large pale bodies in bizarre clothing brought out a crowd of giggling and pointing children and curious but veiled mothers. Pandemonium broke out
when they saw that we had stickers and candy and pins to distribute.
Big imploring eyes, little hands grabbing at us and our bags, voices
clamoring in an incoherent babble: it was a moving and overwhelming
experience. Though barefoot and skinny by our standards, the children
appeared healthy, energetic, happy and bold. The staff allowed me
to administer some of the drops, mostly to infants still in arms.
Surprisingly, fathers and older siblings were often those carrying
or firmly escorting the little ones. Some of the booths were in medical
outreach offices, some were in school yards (empty on Sundays) and
some were even on the steps of shrines or mosques. By noon, all of
the booths on our route had been supplied and visited. We returned
to the distribution point and sat outside with the other Indian lady
Rotarians enjoying a picnic lunch of sandwiches, fruit and chai. Our
“work” was done. All agreed the real importance of their visit to India was as a morale booster for the Rotary clubs of India who continue to work on NID’s (they still have April and May, whether Americans show up or not), as good PR for Rotary worldwide, as crowd magnets to attract the children to the booths but more than anything for the impact this experience had on us! Peggy and Sherry summed up their feelings saying they came away with a deeper commitment to the worldwide humanitarian efforts of Rotary International and hopefully will impart some of our passion to all of you. Terry met the District Governor, Haresh Sood, who came to their site to thank them for their efforts. She summed up her feelings by saying words can never express what we all felt. We all shared a common goal and emerged changed forever; this experience was an unbelievably fabulous way to have spent World Understanding Month!
Eradication Status Rotary International reports
there are significant reasons to be optimistic
about achieving our goal of global polio eradication by 2005.
Brisbane, Australia, June 2003: "Fulfilling Our Promise: Eradicate Polio," the 15-month polio eradication fundraising campaign (PEFC) that had Rotarians racing ducks, building snowmen, running marathons, and coordinating countless other fundraising efforts throughout the 2002-03 Rotary year, celebrated a dramatic moment on 3 June at the 94th annual RI Convention in Brisbane, Australia. RI President Bhichai Rattakul and Trustee Chairman Glen Kinross read a roll call of fundraising achievements by national committees during a morning plenary session that culminated in an announcement that Rotarians worldwide have raised US$88,557,000 for the PEFC. The amount, which surpasses the fundraising goal of $80 million set in 2002, includes cash contributions, District Designated Funds, and pledges. "Thanks to the remarkable commitment and generosity of Rotary members worldwide, we are closer than ever to wiping out this crippling and deadly disease," said Rattakul. The announcement, which brought thunderous applause from the crowd at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, followed an address by Dr. Shigeru Omi, director of the Western Pacific region of the World Health Organization (WHO). Omi, who has worked closely with Rotarians in his 13 years with the WHO, praised Rotarians for their tenacity and pledged ongoing support from his organization, one of Rotary's longtime partners in the fight against polio. "I can assure you that Rotary's unwavering commitment is matched by us, your closest partners, and by the leaders of the few remaining polio infected countries," he said. "I have come here directly from the World Health Assembly in Geneva, where I listened to the health leaders of India, Nigeria, and Pakistan, who reaffirmed their commitment to finish polio once and for all." Omi also recognized Rotary's commitment to polio eradication with an award, presented on behalf of the WHO and Rotary's other partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and UNICEF. Before joining Rattakul to announce fundraising achievements by Rotarians worldwide, Kinross reflected on the history and progress of the polio eradication campaign, recognized PEFC director and chairman of the Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Force Robert Scott for his dedication, and encouraged Rotarians to press on in the fight against polio. "There has been a 99 percent reduction in the number of polio cases worldwide, from 350,000 in 1988 to fewer than 2000 in 2002," said Kinross. "99 percent is not enough. Unless we finish that last one percent, the entire campaign is in jeopardy. Polio will not be eradicated — ever — and all our efforts will have been in vain." Rotary International and its partners will use money raised by the PEFC to purchase oral polio vaccine and to help cover operational expenses and poliovirus surveillance activities. Rotary's commitment of nearly $600 million to the fight against polio since 1985 represents the largest private-sector support of a global health initiative ever. "We are proud of our achievement — and rightfully so," said Kinross.
Over One Billion Children Immunized Against Polio Since 1985! Rotarians are on the verge of ridding the world of polio. The number of polio cases has declined by 99 percent in the 16 years since Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation made polio eradication the highest priority. In this period, many of the challenges and obstacles in the path of the ultimate goal have been overcome through the pioneering work of PolioPlus. But because of the changed priorities following the terrible events of 11 September 2001, it is now clear that without a special effort, governments, agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector will not be able to fill the US$400 million funding gap that threatens to snuff Rotary's dream of a polio-free world. The RI Board of Directors and the Foundation Trustees have unanimously resolved to introduce a new campaign to raise additional funds for PolioPlus. The campaign, "Fulfilling Our Promise: Eradicate Polio," will last only through the 2002-03 Rotary year with the goal of raising $80 million. The funds raised through this campaign will multiply quickly because they will be matched or surpassed by funding from the World Bank, the Gates Foundation, and the United Nations Foundation. In some cases, every dollar brought in by Rotary will become a contribution of up to five dollars that will go to governments, the World Health Organization, or UNICEF to buy and distribute vaccine. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, led by Rotary International, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports that 2001 saw some powerful strides in polio eradication with a record 575 million children under the age of 5 vaccinated in 94 countries. To date, 537 polio cases had been reported last year worldwide-down from 2,979 in 2000-though that figure may increase slightly. The number of polio-endemic countries also dropped from 20 in 2000 to 10 in 2001. This represents a greater than 99.8 percent reduc-tion since 1988, when polio paralyzed more than 350,000 children in 125 countries. Defeating
Polio Now At the Rotary International Assembly in January 2002, the chairman of The Rotary Foundation Trustees, Luis Vicente Giay, announced an emergency one-year campaign, titled "Fulfilling Our Promise: Eradicate Polio!" to raise US$80 million to ensure the defeat of polio by 2005. The campaign, to run 1 July 2002-30 June 2003, will be officially launched at the RI Convention in Barcelona, Spain. "Without hesitation, unfaltering in our commitment, the RI Board of Directors and the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of RI unanimously resolved to introduce a new campaign to raise funds for polio eradication," Chairman Giay told the incoming district governors, who attended the assembly, held annually in Anaheim, Calif., USA. At least $1 billion is needed to defeat polio in three years, Giay said; $600 million was pledged or projected by late August 2001. And then, the terrible events of 11 September caused a steep decline in philanthropic contributions by many potential donors — governments, corporations and nonprofit organizations — who have followed Rotary's lead in the fight against polio. According to Chairman Giay, the funds raised through this campaign will multiply quickly through a new partnership. The Gates Foundation pledged up to $25 million in matched contributions, while the World Bank will provide loans to buy and distribute vaccine. "We will work together, contributing up to the very end, and we will raise the standard of victory that will be recognized all over the world. Future generations will never forget the name of Rotary and your efforts," Giay said. Eradicating polio will save the world an estimated $1.5 billion per year, and spare young polio victims and their families the immeasurable suffering inflicted by the disease. This yearlong campaign will be shorter and on a smaller scale than the 1985 launch, when Rotarians more than doubled their original goal, raising more than $247 million. That unprecedented effort inspired the creation in 1988 of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, whose major partners today are Rotary International, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. When the initiative was launched, polio was rampant in 125 countries and infected 1,000 children every day. In 2000 alone, the group immunized 550 million children. A large number of current Rotarians joined after RI launched its polio campaign, now the largest public health initiative in history, Chairman Giay observed. They never experienced the unimaginable power that individual men and women have when they unite for the common good. Now, these newer Rotarians will have that opportunity. "We are firmly convinced that Rotary and Rotarians can succeed in this initiative," he said. "We will continue to work and to contribute up to the end, and we will win this battle because we are involved in a movement that embodies the courage and the spirit of Rotary advancing through history. Can anyone doubt this?" To help spread the word about this new campaign, Rotarians are invited to download a presentation and accompanying script from the R. I. website.
Within three years Rotary had raised over $247 million. The program was so successful, that in 1988 at the World Health Assembly, 166 nations committed to the eradication of polio by the year 2000. Because of obstacles such as conflict, inadequate funding, and weak health infrastructures, 20 countries were still not polio free in the year 2000. This figure has now dropped to 10. The United Nations Foundation has carried a financial appeal to the private sector, raising another $100 million. This project is in its final phase and is still incomplete, primarily because of funding. This is like no other project ever undertaken by Rotary. Its financial commitment is now well over $500 million. Rotarians, over 10 million volunteers, have delivered vaccine by every mode of transportation imaginable. Every Rotary Club is being asked to take a fair share of the final funding of this project. Funding can be raised in a number of different ways, member pledges, corporate sponsorships, or fund raisers. Individual contributions to fund raisers for a project such as this can be applied to Rotary Foundation's Paul Harris Fellow recognition. Additional information will be presented on this international project as it becomes available. Europe
achieves historic milestone as region is declared polio-free:
"This is truly an historic achievement," said Rotary Foundation Trustee Chairman Luis Vicente Giay from RI's annual Convention in Barcelona, Spain, where Rotarians celebrated news of the certification. "I commend our global partners and every member of Rotary for helping to eliminate this age old scourge from Europe for all time." "This is a tremendous achievement in the global effort to eradicate polio," declared Dr. Marc Danzon, WHO regional director for Europe. "To get where we are today required the full commitment and cooperation of each of our 51 member states, the hard work of public health workers in the field, and the firm support of international partners in coordination with WHO." Europe's last case of indigenous wild poliomyelitis occurred in eastern Turkey in 1998, when a two-year-old unvaccinated boy was paralyzed by the virus. Poliovirus imported from polio-endemic countries remains a threat. In 2001 alone, there were three polio cases among Roma children in Bulgaria and one non-paralytic case in Georgia — all caused by poliovirus originating on the Indian subcontinent. Of the recent importations, Sir Joseph Smith, chairman of the RCC noted, "We are satisfied that all measures were taken to ensure that wild poliovirus imported into the region did not lead to ongoing circulation. All evidence confirms that." The path to a polio-free European region began in 1988, following the call of the World Health Assembly to eradicate the disease worldwide. Tens of millions of children in 18 polio-endemic countries and areas in the European and Eastern Mediterranean regions of WHO have since been protected from the poliovirus through an unprecedented series of coordinated national immunization campaigns, often carried door-to-door. Supplementary vaccination campaigns have continued in the highest-risk countries through to 2002. The independent panel of international public health experts that comprises the RCC has been engaged in the formal polio-free certification process in Europe since 1996. Before certification could be declared, the RCC had to scrutinize surveillance data and the evidence of national certification committees. It also received firm commitments from all ministries of health on maintaining immunization and surveillance to safeguard against the risk of infection through imported poliovirus. In addition to maintaining immunization, surveillance, and the ability to respond to imported cases, European countries are now cataloguing all laboratory stocks of poliovirus as part of a global plan to ensure effective containment in a polio-free world. Achieving global eradication — the best way of minimizing the risk to Europe's children — will require the filling of a funding gap of US $275 million for work up to 2005. To help the global effort to close the funding gap, Rotary will this coming July start its second major fundraising campaign to raise US$80 million by 2003. "Rotary's PolioPlus program is a shining example of the achievements made possible by cooperation between the United Nations and the non-governmental organizations." Kofi Annan, Secretary General, United Nations
Why Polio? During the 1970s, Rotary International began a search for a universal humanitarian cause that would unite and drive its membership into the 21st century. A program where members could actively participate not just by fund-raising, but by volunteering in their communities and across the world — the cornerstone of Rotary's charter. The answer came in 1979 when Rotary launched a five-year polio immunization program in the Philippines along with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Philippine Ministry of Health. The initiative was declared a success, signifying the end of Rotary's search. In 1985, Rotary created PolioPlus — a program to immunize all the world's children against polio by 2005 — Rotary's centennial. PolioPlus is one of the most ambitious humanitarian undertakings made by a private entity ever. It will serve as a paradigm for private/public collaborations in the fight against disease well into the next century. Global drive to eradicate polio accelerates The worldwide Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) is accelerating on the eve of 2000, the target year for eliminating the disease. "We are entering the last lap of the race and getting ready to sprint across the finish line," said Dr. Stephen Cochi, chief of Polio Eradication Activity for the National Immunization Program at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "We are targeting the problem areas, where OPV [oral polio vaccine] coverage is less than 80 percent, with extra, intensified rounds of NIDs [national immunization days] and extensive sub-NIDs or mop-up activities." Cochi, along with Dr. Bruce Aylward, coordinator of the Polio Eradication Initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), gave a global update on polio eradication at a meeting of the RI International PolioPlus Committee (IPPC) last week at Rotary World Headquarters. When the PEI began in 1988, there were an estimated 350,000 cases of polio in more than 125 countries. As of this month, there are 6,344 cases reported in 20 countries. No cases have been reported in the Americas since 1991, in the Western Pacific since 1997, and in Europe since last year. Extra rounds of NIDs and focused house-to-house polio immunization campaigns are planned for 10 priority countries, explained Cochi: five are countries where reservoirs of polio remain (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan) and five are countries in conflict (Afghanistan, Angola, Congo, Somalia, and Sudan). In India, for example, a record 130 million children are being targeted in each of four rounds of NIDs. After NIDs, the next critical element of accelerated polio eradication is surveillance. "Surveillance tells us where the virus is," said Aylward. "[Surveillance] is weakest in Africa. We don't know how much polio there is in parts of Africa." In response, WHO is dispatching "Stop Transmission of Polio" teams to help improve surveillance in African countries and other parts of the world. Wherever the wild polio virus is detected, mop-up immunization, often on a house-to-house basis, is being conducted to reach unimmunized children. For the effort to be successful, the cost of polio eradication must be met -- an estimated US$1.25 billion through the end of 2000, mainly accounted for by NIDs. Of this amount, $825 million has been raised, leaving a shortfall of $400 million. In support of PEI's accelerated phase, the Task Force for Advocacy Resource Mobilization was formed in August, comprised of WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International, CDC, and UNF (United Nations Fund). Among the resources essential to the success of polio eradication and its certification by 2005 is the global network of laboratories that are working to verify the presence or absence of wild polio virus around the world. "The global polio eradication lab network is the best example of a global public health lab that we have," said Cochi. "There are now 135 labs [national, regional, and global], which have been heavily supported by Rotary International through the PolioPlus program. There is the potential for using these labs for other health endeavors after polio is eradicated." January 2003: Major U.S. newspaper features polio exhibition A 986-word article about a major exhibit of photographs by award-winning Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado documenting the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has appeared in a leading U.S. daily newspaper also distributed internationally. USA Today, with a circulation of more than 2 million daily, carried the article about the ongoing exhibit at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) headquarters in Washington, D.C., USA, in its 31 December 2002 issue. The story includes coverage of Rotary's central role in the global effort and a Rotary Foundation address to which readers can send donations. The newspaper quoted Past RI Vice President Robert Scott, chairman of the polio eradication fundraising campaign (PEFC), assuring readers that Rotary will "finish the job" of ridding the world of polio. "We're going to achieve this. There is no doubt," he told USA Today. Titled, "The End of Polio: A Global Effort to End a Disease," the Washington, D.C., exhibition features black-and-white photographs of scenes from polio-endemic countries visited by Salgado since 2001, when he accepted an invitation from WHO to document immunization activities across the world. View
photographs of Salgado.
District Polio Eradication
Campaign Updates Feb. 2004 : Polio Campaign Well Underway - Twenty Months & Counting: A review for the Rotary Members in our District at the start and final push in our Polio Eradication Campaign on July 1, 2002 and an update for the New Members that have joined Rotary since that date. A very sincere Thank You for all your individual and Club support since we kicked off the Campaign World Wide in the spring of 2002. Our goal is to Eradicate Polio by the year 2005 the 100-Year Anniversary of the Founding of our Organization. We have come so far since the middle of the 80’s in our fight to eliminate Polio. So much has happened as our Mission swept across the World with the help of our Partners and thousands of Rotarians who have taken themselves away from there families to be a part of a National Immunization Day (NID) where literally millions of children are given the Polio Vaccine in a single day. The Rotary Clubs in our District stepped up quickly prior to the start of the Campaign and set a goal of $300,000 that would be the contribution from our District. As the Club goals came in we knew our goal would be exceeded. Through the generosity of all of you, after the Individual Club commitments were counted; we established a new goal of $330,000 payable over 3 years with a completion date of 6/30/05. We are well on our way of achieving that goal. Every one of our 7150 Clubs and the new Clubs formed since the beginning of the campaign have made a pledge, one of only a few Districts in the Rotary World with that accomplishment. Again, thank you one and all. If you are a New Rotarian since the start of the Campaign we invite you to participate in this World Wide Global effort. You can make a pledge payable over the next 16 months due in full by 6/30/05. Talk with your Club President or Club Foundation Officer, they would be happy to, bring you up to date on the Campaign, share how your contribution will help the Campaign and take pride in the fact you participated in the largest Service Club global effort ever to be achieved. Members that were in Rotary at the time the Campaign kicked off and somehow we missed you, please feel free to join us now with a pledge. Every dollar is important to achieving our goal. May I please request that all Club Leaderships review the Polio Campaign Summary also included in this Credo Edition to be sure the figures are correct for your Club and you are on track in meeting your Club goal on or before 6/30/05. Please contact your District Polio Area Club Coordinator if you need assistance. Again, my very sincere thank you for all your continued support. We are so very close to ridding the world of this dreaded disease. 11/5/03: A reminder and update on our Polio Eradication Campaign. by PDG Ed Paparella Why did Rotary choose polio? During the 1970s, Rotary International began a search to find a global humanitarian program where members could actively participate, not just by fundraising, but by volunteering in their communities and across the world - the cornerstone of Rotary's charter. The answer came in 1979 when Rotary launched a five-year polio immunization program in the Philippines along with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Philippine Ministry of Health. The initiative was declared a success, signifying the end of Rotary's search. Isn't the program finished? This is a common misconception in polio-free countries. It is true that major gains have been made in the global fight against polio. In September 1994, the entire Western Hemisphere was certified polio free. But, some of the most difficult battles have yet to be fought. Six to eight countries remain polio endemic. Many of these countries lack sufficient political and economic commitment, or are embroiled in conflicts. From Rotary News Basket 10/29/03 US panel cites polio eradication as outstanding model for partnerships The global polio eradication initiative (GPEI) led by Rotary International, World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was singled out as an outstanding model for effective partnerships during a high-level panel discussion at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 27 October. Organized by the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs, the four-member panel discussion on partnerships featured presentations that explored the central role of partnerships in implementing initiatives aimed at assisting the developing world. Some 500 participants attended the discussion, which is part of a series of public events hosted by the Second Committee of the 58th Session of the UN General Assembly. Noting that Rotary International's extensive partnerships for polio immunization have made it possible to reach the "last mile" in the worldwide fight against the disease, Amir Dossal, executive director of the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP), said such joint efforts were essential in the delivery of services to those who most need them. He told participants that 75 percent of his agency's programs and projects involved more than one partner. Tracing the origins of the global polio eradication initiative to a successful Rotary health project in the Philippines, Robert Coultas, RI Representative to the UN, said that Rotary values local and international partnerships in carrying out its humanitarian initiatives. "Rotary, the UN, and the international community together support the mission of [promoting] peace and development, which are imperative for a stable world," said Coultas. "No one organization can do this on its own; it takes collaboration, cooperation, and an established network of communication and resources. Working together provides an endless amount of opportunity to increase international peace and understanding." An AIDS care center in Johannesburg, South Africa, soil conservation and irrigation projects near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and literacy efforts in El Salvador and Thailand were among the initiatives Coultas cited to showcase the strength of Rotarians across the world working together among themselves and with other organizations.
6/5/03: $ 88,557,000 Raised by Rotarians Worldwide for Polio Eradication Campaign by PDG Ed Paparella We Helped Make It Happen….Congratulations one and all…. By now you are aware the worldwide Polio Eradication Campaign goal of $80 million has been far exceeded. On June 3rd in Brisbane, at the International Convention it was announced over $ 88 million was raised in pledges, cash and District Designated Funds. An outstanding performance by Rotarians all over the world united in the greatest Humanitarian effort of all time. Our District set a goal of $300,000 and eventually exceeded that goal by $30,000. All 45 Clubs in our District stepped up, as they have so often in the past. It just does not get any better. From all of us on the District Polio Eradication Team, a very sincere Thank You for all your support and staying with the task throughout this Rotary year. Current donations to the Polio Eradication Campaign from our District are in excess of $100,000. This puts us nearly one-third of the way toward our $330,000, 3-year commitment. Just a reminder that you ensure your Club Polio Eradication Records are kept up to date and your goal is achieved. As we "Lend a Hand" this next Rotary year walk tall and proud with humility for all you have accomplished and the lives you have & will change once Polio is no longer a threat to our world. Thank you Rotarians & families.
11/11/02: District Polio Campaign - Over The Top & Climbing by PDG Ed Paparella Once again District 7150 reaches new heights in the Rotary Global Humanitarian Initiative to help raise $80 million world wide to Eradicate Polio in the world. Thank you everyone for taking on this challenge. The Clubs leadership and membership have stepped up with compassion and caring to support the $300,000 District Polio Eradication Goal. With the need seen as critical in our battle against this dreaded disease, Rotarians pulled all stops to make this campaign a District wide success. Our District Polio Eradication Campaign Commitment total is $325,185, with almost daily reports from Clubs wanting to raise their initial Club Goal even higher. This campaign has taken our District by storm with commitments coming from Rotarians, non-Rotarians, Corporations, Businesses, EarlyAct & Interact Clubs and the communities at large. A sweeping response from all parts of our District. It is clear people care about their neighbors worldwide. If you feel the original goal your Club established could be set even higher, please let your District Area Polio Coordinator know and our District records will be amended. Thank you for this outpouring of support. Below is a listing of Clubs leading our Polio Eradication Campaign with commitments of $10,000 or more. Utica $30,000 Chittenango $14,050 Thank you for spearheading the momentum in the Campaign. Club Polio Eradication Campaign reports will continue in the next Credo. Also view the District website for additional Polio Campaign information. The following Clubs have achieved per capita of $200.00 or more. Tully $445.83 Aurora $235.29 All the Club commitments were important to our District wide Campaign. Without each and every one of you we would not be at this truly outstanding level of support. It was a Total Team Effort -Together We Made It Happen. A sincere thank you to the District Area Polio Eradication Coordinators, Jim Austin, Joe Bearman, Andrea Ives, Don St. Louis, Mike Occhipinti & Andy Zaplatynsky who have worked closely with each of the Clubs. For the ongoing support & assistance we are receiving from the Assistant Governors, thank you. A special thank you to Ward Vuillemot for keeping our Club Summary Report updated daily as commitments were received. Thank you one & all for your generosity and commitment to this critical Polio Eradication Campaign. We can all take pride in our accomplishment as we journey together toward our 100 year Anniversary Celebration and announce to the World - Our Promise is Fulfilled.
Oct. 2002:
This is a critical time for Rotary… Polio is close to be eliminated
from the Earth, but the commodities of time and money are in short
supply, and we have to make a commitment NOW, to finish the task Rotary
undertook in the mid-eighties, and fulfill the promise made, to eradicate
polio from the globe. This is also a great opportunity for your Club to honor member(s) at the November 12th event in Rome with RI President Bhichai Rattakul making Paul Harris Fellow presentations. As you know a Polio Paul Harris Fellow Commemorative Certificate is being issued to new PHF recipients. We encourage all clubs to take advantage of this District Wide Incentive opportunity. Thank you for continuing to support this global effort to Eradicate Polio in the World. The Incentive Program will conclude when the first 14 clubs are confirmed by the Polio Eradication Committee or 12/31/02 whichever comes first.
The
District Leadership Steps Up For Polio - $14,150 Pledged At the Past District Governor/District Leadership Council and spouse social gathering in Rome on Sunday August 25th, the group in consensus, agreed to "walk the talk" in the Polio Eradication Campaign giving here in our District. Thank you one & all. Many of our Past District Governors & others were involved in the original Polio Campaign back in the middle 80's. A video viewed at the gathering coordinated by PDG Mike Occhipinti brought back memories for many. Mike took a leadership role back in the 80's and is doing so again today along with many in our District. It was a time of reflection covering the early years in our Rotary battle to Eradicate Polio up to the present. A moving and motivating presentation that brought tears and pride in what can be accomplished with the involvement of each and every Rotarian in the World. Understanding the importance and need, the Leadership in attendance, and those not able to be present, have pledged $14,150 to the Polio Eradication Campaign effort. All pledges will be processed through the Clubs. An awesome response, that hopefully will encourage every Rotarian in our District to also respond to the best of their ability. Our District Goal, as you know is $300,000. We are asking every Rotarian to consider a pledge of $75.00 a year for 3 years. Putting that into perspective is $1.45 a week. In view of the need and Worldwide commitment from Rotary, an amount within reaches. Clubs are also being asked to consider Community fundraising and Corporate donations to help achieve the Club goal. Several Clubs have already taken on this District Polio Campaign challenge with conviction & passion, applying the suggested giving level per Rotarian in establishing a Club goal. Our sincere thank you for stepping out early in the campaign. Watch for future Polio Campaign updates to see who they are. Our current Polio Eradication Campaign provides a great opportunity for Rotarians not members of Rotary during the original Polio Campaign to become involved. This generation of members now in our Clubs can be a part of this history making Humanitarian Global Project. What a legacy to leave all future generations, a Polio Free World. On November 12th, 2002 RI President
Bhichai Rattakul will be in our District in Rome at the Beeches Banquet
and Convention Center. Let's consider presenting him with a large
visual check representing our Total District Pledges with 100% participation
from every Club in our District that exceeds our established goal.
Can you imagine the excitement, thrill and sense of pride we could
all feel on that occasion? Let him remember in a special way his visit
to our District in the mist of the greatest Humanitarian challenge
Rotary has undertaken. We can make this happen with your support.
With your help & support we can accomplish our goal and keep our promise to the World. Please join us in this effort. Encourage your Club to embrace the momentum of the District Leadership and other 7150 Clubs. Lets together…….. Sow the Seeds of Love…….. united in purpose. Download Application
to Contribute & Receive Paul Harris Award
In the 25 May issue of USA Today, Section D, Page 7. There was an outstanding full page picture of a child receiving vaccine. The text says "Over one billion children immunized against polio through Rotary's volunteer network in partnership with WHO, UNICEF, CDC and other world health leaders!" At the bottom of the page "Working for a Polio Free World", The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, "HOW YOU CAN HELP" Rotary International 29500 clubs, 1.2 million members, in 161 countries. We have often said that Rotary does not get the recognition it deserves for our work with Polio Plus. We got it here by doing it ourselves; and, we were able to ask for donations from non-Rotarians as well. Look for this issue before it is gone so you can show to your clubs. - Nancy Pawloski, GUS Club"
How is Rotary involved in the global polio eradication effort? Financially: In 1985, Rotary was recognized by WHO as a non-governmental organization working in the field of international health. In the same year, Rotary set a goal to raise $120 million to provide the oral polio vaccine (OPV) to newborns in the developing world. When the campaign ended, Rotary had doubled its goal, collecting more than $247 million. To date, the PolioPlus program has contributed $334 million to the protection of more than one billion children. By 2005, Rotary's financial commitment will reach a half billion US dollars. On the ground assistance: With its community-based network worldwide, Rotary is the volunteer arm of the global partnership dedicated to eradicating polio. Rotary volunteers assist in vaccine delivery, social mobilization and logistical help in co-operation with the national health ministries, WHO, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rotarian's volunteer efforts were instrumental in the eradication of polio from the Western Hemisphere, certified polio-free in 1994. Global Advocacy: With the end of polio in sight, the eradication campaign enters the most difficult leg of the journey involving the poorest regions of the world. Rotary's Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Force successfully reaches out to governments worldwide to obtain vital financial and technical support needed to reach the goal of a polio-free 21st century. And Rotary's efforts have paid off. Countries such as Canada, Australia, Denmark, Japan, United Kingdom and the United States are now major financial donors to this historic health initiative. Examples of Rotary in Action: In India over 100,000 Rotary members and their families joined the Indian Government in immunizing over 125 million children on one day -- signaling the largest public health event ever in the world. In Uganda, Rotarians are actively participating in the planning and implementation of National Immunization Days. Thousands of Rotary volunteers assist authorities by providing cold storage facilities, transporting vaccine to every immunization post, and by helping track children who may have missed the immunization. As respected leaders in their communities, Rotarians play a key advocacy role to win people's confidence in the program. In Kenya, Rotaractors and Interactors, the youth wings of Rotary clubs world-wide, provide free lunches to all health workers in the Nairobi area. They pack lunch boxes, organize distribution teams, and transport meals to more than 1,500 health care staff. In 1996 and 1997, Rotarians in Angola led a campaign to solicit corporate jets, helicopters and vehicles to move vaccine through Angola's land-mine infested countryside. Additional volunteers mobilized by a single Rotary club helped the government reach 80 percent of its target population of children under five years of age. In countries where there are no Rotary clubs like the People's Republic of China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cuba and Yemen, the PolioPlus program funded vaccines and promotional materials for National Immunization Days. Since its inception in 1995, Rotary continues to meet the vaccine needs for Operation MECACAR (Mediterranean, Caucasus and Central Asian Republics), and MECACAR Plus a four year drive designed to wipe out polio and diphtheria in the Middle East and Central Asia. In the United States, Canada, Japan and other non-endemic countries, Rotary members continue to strengthen the global polio laboratory network needed to support the rapid diagnosis of suspected cases of polio. Rotarians provide assistance to equip laboratories and fund social mobilization drives through the PolioPlus Partners program.
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