Ten-year-old raises money for polio eradication
By Arnold R. Grahl
Rotary International News -- 27 April 2009
Ian Schwartz with one of the displays he made about polio eradication and the money he collected from classmates.
Photo courtesy of Sherilyn Schwartz
A lot of Rotarians could take a cue from one spunky 10-year-old from Eugene, Oregon, USA, who has raised a little more than $1,640 for Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge.
Ian Schwartz, a fourth grader at St. Paul Parish School, decided to collect money for charity in lieu of gifts from friends for his birthday, in keeping with a family tradition. Ian's mother, Sherilyn, is a member of the Rotary Club of Eugene. When the February issue of The Rotarian arrived at their home, Ian was inspired by the illustrated "Amazing Stories of Polio" inside, and news of the recent $255 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
"He said to me, 'Mom, I can't raise $255 million.' I told him, 'Yes, but every little bit helps,'" Sherilyn recalls.
Ian began researching polio on the Internet and created a presentation for a school assembly. His classmates had a personal connection to the disease that they didn't even know about, Ian said: The school's music teacher had contracted polio as a child but fully recovered because of the care available to him in the United States.
After setting up a booth in the lunchroom, Ian spent his lunch hour and recess collecting donations, raising $284. His parents matched that amount, bringing his total to $568.
"We gave him the choice of receiving a PlayStation Portable from us for his birthday, or having us match his effort," says Sherilyn. "He opted for the match. Of course, we also bought him the PSP."
Ian then took his fundraising effort to the Eugene club, where he shared the results of his research and his dedication to making a difference. With more than 200 club members in attendance, including Mike Fischnaller, governor of District 5110 (parts of Oregon and California), the Rotarians passed around the hat and raised more than $900, bringing Ian's total contribution to Rotary's challenge to almost $1,500.
Because of his donation, Ian qualified to become a Paul Harris Fellow, and through the club's matching recognition points, he will also be able to choose two additional recipients to receive the recognition.
"I'm very proud of him," says Sherilyn. "I think polio eradication is a great endeavor. I would like to see more kids ask their friends for donations to a good cause like this than to receive a bunch of stuff for their birthday that they don't need."
Fischnaller was so impressed with Ian's efforts, he has invited him to address the district's conference on 30 May in Corvallis.
"He's a little tentative about it, but he's excited at the same time," says Sherilyn, who notes that Ian is no stranger to standing before an audience: He has taken part in readings before his parish once a year when his class has hosted Mass.
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