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Concert
to End Polio tickets going fast
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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.
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End polio fundraiser music to Rotarians' ears
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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."
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Interactors'
stick-to-itiveness pays off for the challenge
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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.
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Social
Networking
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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.
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We want to hear from you!
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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:
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Challenge
nears the halfway mark!
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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."
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RISING
TO THE CHALLENGE
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Rotary's
US$200 Million Challenge totals*
US$99.0
*As of 24 October 2009
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Danish club revs
up to meet the challenge
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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."
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Polio Facts
& Figures
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For the latest on the
number of polio cases, progress reports on polio-endemic countries,
and other information, go to www.polioeradication.org.
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Tools and Resources
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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.
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Mobile
giving
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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.
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