DG Ariel - Change Challenge for Polio EradicationOne of my favorite things about attending a Rotary Zone Institute, or really any time I get to talk to any other Rotarian, is learning about new ideas, projects, fundraisers, and initiatives and getting inspired about what to take back home. After all, the environment is one of our areas of focus and there's no need to reinvent the Rotary wheel!
So when a fellow End Polio Champion shared about their club's spare fundraiser during the session facilitated by Eric Denu and the topic came up again this weekend, our District 7850 Foundation Committee has decided to throw down the gauntlet and challenge all our Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact Clubs to a Change Challenge.
From October 1 through November 15, to coincide with World Polio Day on October 24, we are encouraging everyone to collect their coin jars and change purses, pool from your club together, and compete to see which club can raise the most, total and per capita.
The End Polio Change Challenge is open to all Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact Clubs, but we encourage you to think bigger and reach broader, whether through community-wide drop-offs, events, or whatever else you come up with. We have some materials to help you promote it, including posters, social media graphics, and fillable templates, or feel free to use Rotary International’s resources on polio. Keep me updated on your plans and progress, and we'll be checking in along the way at our Regional Gatherings on October 24 in Drummondville, QC, and November 14 in South Burlington, VT.
If you don't have coins, remember that just $3 of your happy bucks can vaccinate a child against polio and all donations through Rotary's End Polio Now initiatives are matched 2-to-1 by the Gates Foundation! Rotary's work to end polio has reduced it by 99.9% since 1988, but as long as polio exists anywhere, it is a threat to children everywhere.
Lasting impact starts with a little change, sometimes metaphorical and sometimes literal.
Ariel
