Our challenge is to raise US$50m by June 30 to ensure we qualify for the 2:1 US$100m bonus from the Gates Foundation.

Article by PDG Bob Aitken - Rotary End Polio Now Coordinator

With the month of June approaching, I urge all District Governors and Club President to make one last push for vital dollars to fund our END POLIO NOW campaign.

As you all realise, our challenge is to raise US$50m by June 30 to ensure we qualify for the 2:1 US$100m bonus from the Gates Foundation.

The goals are simple –

• $US$1,500 from every Rotary Club
• 20% or part thereof of District Designated Funds
• Ongoing search for major donors at US$10k each
• A focus on personal giving – including the Sir Clem Renouf/Bill Boyd END POLIO NOW Clubs at $10 per member.

So, please take these challenges on board immediately with your Club Presidents and District 'The Rotary Foundation' (TRF) Committees.

Always good to sign off with good news …

A couple of weeks ago, District Governors Pat Schraven and Heather Chong advised that there respective TRF District Committees had signed off on donations of US$10k from DDF (District Designated Funds) to the END POLIO NOW campaign.

At April 21, the value of DDF donations from Zone 8, with the multiplier bonus, had reached almost US$600k. With these latest donations, our total is almost US$700k!

District Governors … if you have not already found some surplus DDF, please look again. Six or seven additional US$10k donations (or more) could see Zone 8 top the US$1m mark for the first time.

BRAVE VOLUNTEERS PROMOTING END POLIO NOW

Rotarians from our Region are doing extraordinary things right now.

At the time of writing, Ken Hutt from Berry Rotary Club in NSW is about to jump off Mt Everest riding his END POLIO NOW paraglider; and Phil and Joyce Ogden from Launceston South, Tasmania, are in the process of riding their tandem bicycle from Perth to Adelaide – appropriately clad in END POLIO NOW regalia.

Both teams are generating strong media coverage to ensure citizens everywhere know whilst ever the wild polio virus remains, the children of our world are not safe!

Let’s get the job done!!!