What is your club doing to celebrate World Polio Day on Oct. 24?

Does your club have a plan to celebrate World Polio Day on October 24? The big day is just five weeks away and it’s time for all clubs to develop a plan to help spread the word about Rotary’s work to end this horrible disease and to celebrate the wonderful work so far.
 
District 5610 encourages you to do something to highlight the event - a watch party, a proclamation from the city government, a speaker at your weekly meeting, etc. As important as it is to plan your club's event, it's also important to try to promote the event among your club members and in the community. We want everyone to understand that we are so close to eradicating polio from our planet. Please plan something to help celebrate the day and send me a note and let me know what your club is doing. 
 
This message provides a wide variety of options for your club to celebrate World Polio Day on Wednesday, October 24. Please forgive the length of this message. I wanted to use just one message, and give you many options. 
 
A large number of resources are available on the End Polio Now website (www.endpolio.org/world-polio-day). Most of them are ready to be used, so they require no work on your part. Some can be customized for your event or local media. A folder with all the resources can be downloaded here (www.endpolio.org/sites/default/files/wpd_2020_en.zip), or you can visit the resource center (https://www.endpolio.org/resource-center#see-more) to choose which resources you want to download.  The resource center provides an array of materials, including banners, posters, news releases, sample proclamations, invitation templates, fact sheets with program information, and social media messages.  Rotary International’s Brand Center (https://brandcenter.rotary.org/en-GB) also has images, videos, etc. that talk about the polio eradication initiative. It is truly amazing how many resources are available.  Please let me know if I can help you to access any of the information.
 
Below there are suggestions of what you can do to celebrate World Polio Day 2020!  Review those ideas and search for others. Work with the club to determine how you will celebrate the day, and then choose materials from the resource center and other links to help you.
 
     A Few Ideas for Celebrating World Polio Day:
 
VIEW
  • Mark your calendar to watch the Rotary International Online Global Update on 24 October and share the event on your social media pages.
  • Follow the event on social media and share it with your network.
  • RSVP to the Online Global Update on Facebook and see who else is participating.
  • Get early access to see a downloadable program by registering your World Polio Day event by 15 October
SHARE
  • Use the sample posts from the World Polio Day Toolkit on your social media pages
  • Use the #EndPolio and #WorldPolioDay hashtags to follow and join the global conversation on social media.Follow End Polio Now on Facebook and Twitter.
  • Follow @EndPolioNow on Facebook and Twitter, and visit the World Polio Day page on www.endpolio.org  for updates.
  • Update your Facebook cover photo and Twitter avatar, using the graphics provided.
  • Use Rotary’s Brand Center to create a People of Action social media post about ending polio that promotes your club’s events. Just sign in, hover over Ads, and choose Online. In the options on the left, choose Fighting Polio.
HOST
  • Organize a community event with club members, friends, and family members to observe World Polio Day. Invite local media representatives, officials, and other leaders to participate, and use the opportunity to introduce them to Rotary.
  • Organize a viewing party for friends and club members to watch the World Polio Day events.
  • Invite local media, officials, and leaders to introduce them to Rotary.
  • Dedicate a club meeting to World Polio Day and update your website with the event details.
  • Create a fundraising or community event. Every dollar raised is matched 2-to-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
  • Register your event (https://www.endpolio.org/register-your-event) and tell us how you’re participating with the global Rotary community.
WRITE
  • Email or call local reporters and pitch a story about World Polio Day and your club’s contributions to the effort. Send them the news release and the fact sheet about Rotary’s efforts to eradicate Polio.
  • Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about the importance of ending polio. Send it to the op-ed or editorial features editor for consideration.
  • Write your government officials asking for an official proclamation for World Polio Day.  A template for the proclamation is included on the resources page.
Thank you for all that you do to make your Rotary club a critical part of your community. 
 
Chuck Lubbers
 
Public Information Director - District 5610