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CONTACT:  Wayne Hearn (847) 866-3386; wayne.hearn@rotary.org

Rotary clubs worldwide meet $200 million

fundraising challenge for polio eradication 

Gates Foundation announces an additional $50 million to end polio

SAN DIEGO, California (Jan. 17, 2012) — Despite a sagging global economy, Rotary clubs around the world have succeeded in raising more than US$200 million in new funding for polio eradication.

The fundraising milestone, announced today at Rotary’s annual International Assembly in San Diego, was reached in response to a $355 million challenge grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. All funds have been earmarked to support polio immunization activities in affected countries where this vaccine-preventable disease continues to paralyze children.

“We’ll celebrate this milestone, but it doesn’t mean that we’ll stop raising money or spreading the word about polio eradication,” Rotary Foundation Trustee John F. Germ told the annual conference of Rotary leaders. “We can’t stop until our entire world is certified as polio free.”

“In recognition of Rotary’s great work, and to inspire Rotarians in the future, the foundation is committing an additional $50 million to extend our partnership,” said Jeff Raikes, Chief Executive Officer of the Gates Foundation. “Rotary started the global fight against polio, and continues to set the tone for private fundraising, grassroots engagement and maintaining polio at the top of the agenda with key policy makers.”

Since 1988, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99 percent, from about 350,000 infections annually to fewer than 650 cases reported so far for 2011. The wild poliovirus now remains endemic – meaning its transmission has never been stopped – in only four countries: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. However, India on Jan. 13 marked a full calendar year without a case, paving the way for its imminent removal from the endemic list.

But other countries also remain at risk for polio cases imported from the endemic countries. In Africa in 2011, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo had significant outbreaks. Also in 2011, a small cluster of polio cases in China, which had been polio-free for a decade, was attributable to a virus from Pakistan.

Rotary members not only reached into their own pockets to support the Gates challenge, they engaged their communities in a variety of creative fundraising projects, such as a fashion show in California that raised $52,000; benefit film screenings in New Zealand and Australia that netted $54,000; and a pledge-supported hike through Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, that brought in $38,000. Many events were planned around October 24, widely observed as World Polio Day.

To date, Rotary club members worldwide have contributed more than $1 billion toward the eradication of polio, a cause Rotary took on in 1985. In 1988, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention joined Rotary as spearheading partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. More recently, the Gates Foundation has become a major supporter. In November 2007, the Gates Foundation gave Rotary a $100 million challenge grant for polio eradication, increasing it to $355 million in 2009. Rotary agreed to raise $200 million in matching funds by June 30, 2012.

Reaching children with the oral polio vaccine in the disease’s remaining strongholds is labor and resource -intensive due to a host of challenges, including poor infrastructure, geographical isolation, armed conflict and cultural misunderstanding about the eradication campaign.

Note to Editors

About Rotary

Rotary is a global humanitarian organization with more than 1.2 million members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary members are men and women who are business, professional and community leaders with a shared commitment to make the world a better place through humanitarian service. Rotary’s top priority is the global eradication of polio. 

For photos, video or more information please visit: www.rotary.org/mediacenter

January is Rotary awareness month. We should encourage all
Rotary clubs to take a good look at their plan to promote Rotary in their
communities. As Rotarians we sometimes take it for granted that everyone knows
of all the good work that Rotary does. However a survey conducted by Rotary
International in 2010 showed that while most have heard of Rotary the survey showed
that most did not know Rotary does. Rotary International offers many great and
wonderful tools for clubs to enhance the image of Rotary in their communities at
http://www.rotary.org/en/members/runningaclub/informingthecommunity/Pages/ridefault.aspx

While a club with an effective public image committee can
help make your community aware of what we do in Rotary, I believe that it is ultimately
the responsibility of each individual Rotarian to spread the word what Rotary does.
It is the responsibility of each Rotarian to be educated in what Rotary does and
learn to use the tools provided to them to enhance the image of Rotary
throughout the world. Most effective communication is usually done one-on-one,
therefore it is imperative that Rotarians learn to tell the Rotary story.

Several months ago there was a LinkedIn blog about the
problems of Rotary’s public image started by a gentleman whose sister was upset
he wore Rotary hat at the airport. This blog went on and on with some good
points and lots of bad points. When I asked him why his sister was so offended
by him wearing a Rotary hat he claimed that his sister had a bad impression of
Rotary. When I asked him if he spent the flight explaining to her, what Rotary
does, who it help sand how it makes a difference. He said no, on the flight he
just took his hat off and did not discuss Rotary. Personally I would’ve taken
this as an opportunity to explain all about Rotary and the good works it does
and ultimately invite his sister to become a Rotarian.

Several weeks ago, while at the airport waiting for a group
of Rotarians to clear security on their way back to Russia I struck up a
conversation with a woman who had asked me about this group. I explained that
they were here in the US on a special Rotary Open World Program. She told me
she had heard of Rotary but didn’t really know what we did. I then spent the
next 45 minutes telling her all about Rotary and the different programs. She was very interested                     and said  she wanted to learn more. She gave me her business card and I sent on her
contact information to several clubs in the area. I am pleased to say that
today I received an e-mail stating she had joined one of the clubs I had
referred her to and would serve on the international committee for the club.

I often hear from clubs that they are having trouble
recruiting members. I would dare to say that they’re not having a membership
problem but it problem with self-image and the inability to communicate
effectively the true public image of Rotary. This is easily remedied with
Rotary education and the use of the public relation tools that Rotary International
provides to the clubs who in turn need to provide it to the Rotarian.

But we have to remember even with the most effective public
relations campaign the responsibility truly is with us as individual Rotarians.
Only when we become effective in promoting Rotary ourselves, will our public
image problems be resolved.

Tim Kaminski

District Governors Zone 28 and District Governor Elects Zone 28,

Happy New Year. For part of you, your year is one half completed. Congratulations. For others of you, you are looking forward to the International Assembly and the continuation of your planning and building for 2012-13. DGs, the upcoming 6 months is a unique time for you. Your visits are completed and you can now devote your energies to the implementation and completion of the goals you set out for yourself and your District. If the RPIC team (Tim, Debbie, Rita or I) can assist you in any way, please let us know. See www.rpic28.org for contact information.

This message is primarily a reminder of the upcoming Webinar on January 10th on the application process for the next round of PR Grants. Registration information from RI is below. Please get your District PR Grant team together and be sure to register. ALL Applications are DUE into RI on March 4, 2012. All grants will be awarded by July 1, 2012 (beginning of the Rotary year).

This Webinar, in conjunction with the information the DGEs will hear at IA, will be critical to your successful applications and awards. Our Zone goal is 100% applications and 100% awards. GO TEAM GO!!!!
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/371816840

Roger Kueter,
RPIC Zone 28 Team Leader