News from Rotary's US$200million Challenge

From : The Rotary Foundation

END POLIO NOW Newsletter November 2009 Concert to End Polio tickets going fast   Rotary put out the word on the Concert to End Polio in New York's Times Square in early September. PR Newswire   As of 16 October, more than 942 tickets have been sold for the Concert to End Polio, featuring violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman and the New York Philharmonic. Perlman, himself a polio survivor, will help Rotary in its effort to raise $200 million to match $355 million in challenge grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The concert will be held on 2 December at 7:30 p.m. in Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York City. For program information, go to www.nyphil.org. Tickets to the concert are $70-$200 and are expected to go quickly. A private reception with Perlman will follow the concert. A premium concert seat and admission to the reception is being ofered at a package price of $500. To buy tickets, phone the Philharmonic box office at 212-875-5656 (hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily). Tickets also can be purchased online through the Philharmonic. All proceeds benefit Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge. If you can't attend the concert, donate online now to help eradicate polio. End polio fundraiser music to Rotarians' ears A concert featuring eclectic jazz trumpeter and Grammy Award-winner Chris Botti has raised US$30,000 for Rotary's challenge. Organized by District 5230 (California, USA) and held on 6 June as the finale to the district's annual conference in Monterey, the event drew about 1,400 Rotarians and other concert goers, including actor and director Clint Eastwood and his wife, Dina. "The success of the event was the result of the willingness of a number of clubs from the Monterey peninsula guaranteeing the financial risk of staging [it]," says District Governor Robert Eurich. "These clubs put up their hard cash as guarantee money in the event that ticket income was insufficient to meet expenses. In addition, [the fundraiser] was a great opportunity to raise awareness in the community of Rotary and the good work this worldwide service organization provides." Interactors' stick-to-itiveness pays off for the challenge Interactors in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, raise funds for Rotary's challenge through their End Polio Now car stickers campaign. When the RI Interact Committee was asked to urge Interactors to become involved in raising support for Rotary's challenge, Rajani Mukerji knew it wouldn't be possible for young people ages 14 to18 to contribute much money. However, as vice chair of the committee, he was confident that Interactors could be counted on to devote their time to the cause. "We find thousands of cars on city roads, so I thought if I can inspire them for a project with bumper stickers, that might work," says Mukerji, a member of the Rotary Club of Calcutta Mideast, West Bengal, India. He says he arranged for stickers bearing the Interact and End Polio Now logos to be printed "to give the Interactors an ownership feeling of the project." Members of 24 Interact clubs in District 3291 joined in carrying out the effort in May, pasting stickers on cars in return for a minimum donation of US$2 each. In all, the Interactors raised $3,200 for Rotary's challenge. "A bunch of young adults seen on the road with end polio jackets and caps" also helped boost awareness of the disease, Mukerji says.   Newsletter Links Rotary International RI News End Polio Now Social Networking Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Interactors who are registered on www.facebook.com and www.myspace.com are urged to share their Rotary's challenge fundraising stories so others can gain ideas for launching fundraisers in their communities. We want to hear from you! If you have a success story, we'd love to hear from you!  Please email us at: rotary's200millionchallenge@rotary.org    If you need a fundraising idea: Fundraising Ideas Challenge nears the halfway mark! As of 24 October, World Polio Day, US$99 million has been raised for Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge. "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$99.0 *As of 24 October 2009 Danish club revs up to meet the challenge   The Rotary Club of Ry, Denmark, used a popular community tradition to raise support for Rotary's challenge. Every year, Ry's office of tourism sponsors a summer festival featuring six consecutive weekends of concerts, stage shows, and other entertainment and activities. For this year's festival, the Ry club purchased a car, painted it with the Rotary emblem and End Polio Now logo, and offered it as first prize in a raffle. The town's director of tourism drove the car around the community to help promote the fundraiser. "We raised around US$8,000 for polio eradication," says Past RI Director Peter Bundgaard. "The car was awarded to the prize winner on 15 August. Of course, we cleaned [it] and removed all the painting." 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) describes the history and science of the disease and the eradication effort in 16 illustrated pages. Comic book format; great for young readers. ($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 to any community 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) -Donate directly to Rotary's challenge at www.rotary.org/endpolio. -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. Click here to find fundraising tips and ideas. -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. Mobile giving Rotarians and non-Rotarians in the United States can help support Rotary's fight against polio by texting POLIO to 90999 for a one-time $5 donation. Service is available on most carriers. Proceeds benefit The Rotary Foundation. All charges are billed by and payable to the user's mobile service provider.