Polio Plus

Polio Fundraising Toolkit for District 7570

This toolkit is intended to help guide Rotary Club Presidents and other leaders in District 7570 in the incredible effort to eradicate polio from the world. From raising funds in your club to celebrating World Polio Day, you can find facts, templates, and links here.

1. Learn – Get informed and help make polio a subject of conversation in your club and community. Here are 5 facts about polio that you can tell others: https://www.endpolio.org/what-is-polio#Facts
2. Share – Most people have heard of polio, but few know that the disease still affects children around the world. Even less known that Rotary has spearheaded the effort to eradicate polio. Share the story of what your club has done to eradicate the disease. Post a photo and caption to Facebook or Twitter, or send a press release about a polio fundraiser your club has done and what the funds will go toward. See a sample press release in the link under World Polio Day that you can use. Just add your club’s unique information and send it to your local media with a photo.
3. Donate – Every donation helps us obtain the support, transport and materials needed in the fight against polio. Please sign in to the website when giving so your donation will count toward your Foundation points and it will help your club, too. https://www.endpolio.org/donate

World Polio Day is Oct. 24 –
find all materials you need here.

World Polio Day is held every year on Oct. 24. It’s an opportunity for Rotary members to tell our story about the massive effort we have taken to rid the world of polio. Here’s a fantastic toolkit with templates and event ideas that you can use for World Polio Day activities. It’s a perfect time to plan an event for your club and use the draft press release in the toolkit to localize it and tell the community about the work your club is doing to end polio. We need your help to make World Polio Day a success. Download these resources to make an impact!

Content you can use:

Polio is a paralyzing and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in some parts of the world. Poliovirus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in hours. It can strike people of any age but mainly affects children under five. Polio can be prevented by vaccines, but it is not curable. Unlike most diseases, polio can be eradicated.

The polio vaccine is safe and effective. Children should be vaccinated several times to ensure they are protected for life and adults too can carry the virus.

Rotary International is the world’s first and largest humanitarian service organization with a global network of 1.2 million members in more than 170 countries. Through its Polio Plus program established in 1985, Rotary was the first to have the vision of a polio-free world.

Rotary has committed to raising $50 million per year for polio eradication. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total commitment of $150 million each year. These funds provide much-needed operational support, medical workers, laboratory equipment, and educational materials. Governments, corporations, and private donors all play a crucial role in funding.

If eradication efforts stopped today, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children in 10 years. That’s why it’s crucial that we continue to work toward a polio-free world.

Fundraising Goals

In District 7570, our goal is for each club to raise a minimum of $50 per member or an average of $1,500 per club. Rotary’s worldwide goal is to raise $50 million a year for the next three years to ensure a 2-for-1 match by the Gates Foundation.

There are many ideas for easy ways to raise funds for polio. Clubs can plan an event such as Pints for Polio, Paddling for Polio, Pancakes for Polio, or a World’s Greatest Meal it is counted toward their club’s goal. It’s a win-win and an easy ask. To partake in food or drink via Zoom and post in the comments what their donation is ($10 minimum, for example). The good news is that when members give to PolioPlus, they earn Rotary Foundation Recognition points in their name to end polio in which members partake in a meal and give any donation toward the club goal. Some clubs have been successful with Virtual World’s Greatest Meals in which club members

Contact:
Traci Blido, PolioPlus Co-Chairman – District 7570
(434) 258-8626
[email protected]