Expanded "This Close" resources available

By Wayne Hearn
Rotary International News -- 31 January 2011

Bill Gates, cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is the latest public figure to help Rotary spread the word about polio eradication through billboard and print ads.

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Bill Gates, cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has joined the growing roster of public figures and celebrities participating in Rotary’s “This Close” public service announcement campaign for polio eradication.

Rotarians can help Rotary achieve its goal of a polio-free world by using the public service announcements, which explain that "we're this close to ending polio." Television versions are now available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. A radio version also is available in English, with other languages to follow.

In late February, the campaign will offer an online, interactive feature -- thisclose.net -- that will allow individual Rotarians and members of the general public to personalize “This Close” ads with their own names and faces.

Also new to the campaign are Archie Panjabi, a film and television actress, and A.R. Rahman, an Indian composer and music producer who received two Academy Awards for his contributions to the 2008 hit film Slumdog Millionaire. In all, 24 notables -- from Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and action movie star Jackie Chan to golf legend Jack Nicklaus and conservationist Jane Goodall -- are raising their thumbs and forefingers in the “this close” gesture in the print, outdoor, and broadcast public service announcements being distributed worldwide.

Rotary clubs can use the ads within their communities to increase awareness of and support for Rotary’s US$200 Million Challenge, the ongoing effort to raise $200 million for polio eradication to match $355 million in challenge grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Clubs and districts are encouraged to customize the “This Close” ads to help promote their own polio fundraising efforts, and to seek donated or discounted placements from their local newspapers, outdoor advertising companies, and television and radio stations. The materials complement the polio eradication component of Rotary’s broader Humanity in Motion public image campaign.

The “This Close” ads were introduced at the 2010 International Assembly. Print ads have since run in several publications, including The Rotarian magazine, USA Today , the Chicago Tribune , and the Wall Street Journal Asia . Rotarians at the 2010 RI Convention also saw them at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.

The RI Public Relations Division sought participants who represent a wide range of professions, accomplishments, interests, and levels of celebrity. There are figures of international and cross-cultural fame, such as Tutu, Queen Noor of Jordan, and classical violinist Itzhak Perlman, as well as figures who are well known within specific countries, regions, and cultures, such as Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, Nigerian soccer star Nwankwo Kanu, Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo, and Korean ballerina Sue Jin Kang.

Perlman, a polio survivor, has been particularly supportive of Rotary’s polio eradication effort. He will perform in his second benefit Concert to End Polio on 7 March with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Center. The first Concert to End Polio was a sold-out event featuring Perlman and members of the New York Philharmonic, who performed at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in December 2009.

14 Comments:

At 2:51PM on 5 March 2012, Ayoub,RPIC,Zone20B wrote: Allover the world, we see THISCLOSE. We are proud of every Rotarian, philanthropist and humanity-loving person who helps eradication of polio from the world, for good.

At 9:48AM on 16 February 2011, Francis Martin, Past DistAmbScholChair wrote: BRILLIANT "Creative" for the "This Close" campaign-- TRULY BRILLIANT! Right down to the positioning of the words "This Close" in between each spokesperson's thumb and index finger. And "No!" I am NOT easily impressed in this area-- Who did, please? Thank you. Signed, AWESOME!!

At 8:59AM on 7 February 2011, PORT GARDNER BAY WINERY wrote: THANKS! My father dealt with much courage with Polio. He was our HERO and the nicest gentleman. Dealing with POST POLIO SYNDROME was horrid. Linnea Covington PhD Downtown Everett Wash Rotary Club Everett Wa. USA

At 5:54PM on 7 February 2011, Rosario "Chary" S. Misa, RC Loyola Hts., D3780 wrote: Our district has Supplemental Immunization at Bgy. Tatalon with a target of continuing the mmunization of 8,000+ kids in partnering with government agencies like Dept. of Health, Quezon City Health Dept., Tatalon Health Dept., Barangay Workers, and Rotarian-Rotaractors Volunteers on Feb. 22, 2011 as part of Celebration of World Understanding Month. Thru this we also promote awareness "close to ending polio now". We are distributing End Polio Now, Baller IDs "Close to End Polio Now", F&B, Mineral Water, security for house to house OPVs and End Polio Now stickers after immunization as a sign the House is free of polio. WE do this for 6-weeks old to 5 years old babies. The best we can do is to educate poor families the source of poliomyelitis and to clean their surroundings.

At 4:14PM on 4 February 2011, Problemsolver wrote: I keep hearing complaints about the cost of the effort and that there are other causes that should be addressed. We have no way to determine the cost of caring long-term for future polio victims if we allow this disease to continue unabated. We are not incurring the cost today because of the effort of Rotary and other organizations. When we started the fight, 385,000 new victims were the norm. If the cost to care for these victims were only $1000 per year, the cost would be $385,000,000 per year. Let's make sure we do the math before we give up on this effort. Remember,all worthwhile efforts are difficult. If it was easy, it would not be a proplem because we would have already taken care of it.

At 4:37PM on 4 February 2011, Ashok R Mirchandani wrote: The idea to personalise the This close ad is a bad one! These 20 odd great icons, who could charge millions to have their face on an ad, have lent their names 'and time free' because of the honour of associating themselves with such a great organisation and cause! Let us give them their due respect and keep them on their status instead of letting every Tom dick and, jane, from claiming the same fame! That is Before we have some of them disassociating themselves publicly from Rotary! That would be counterproductive in a much larger scale.How on earth this mass copying of the ad help in raising funds and awareness, social mobilisation, advocacy etc where Polio eradication is concerned? We work so hard in keeping a balance with our participating partners in the polio affected countries, please do not undo our years of work! PR in affected countries must have a different approach. We who have worked for years in this have managed to keep the delicate balance not to offend those withoit whom the eradication process is impossible. . Let us ask these would be faces what they have done for the cause apart from getting the face in the same category as an international star?! VC ARPPC, National PP Chair, ZCC 20A

At 9:02AM on 1 February 2011, Caryl Marie Kirk wrote: I agree with Kit Vaughn's comment about Post Polio Syndrome. It affects an individual later in life after managing to presumably escape the virus. The damage that was done to the motor neurons by the polio virus can't be undone and; hence, as time passes the sprout-neurons succumb to age and once again in our latter years we are again fighting the polio aftermath. It would be good to start preparing for those that have had this virus now.

At 11:35AM on 3 January 2011, PDG Doug Vincent, D7080 Ontario, Canada wrote: Having just recently returned from a Polio inoculation day on the Bangladesh-India border, I was impressed with the commitment both Rotarians and community volunteers showed. In addition, parents are appreciative that we are taking the time and effort for their children, in addition to providing funds helping make a difference in their lives. Yes we have committed huge amounts of money to this project, but the alternative would be much more costly to our world in the long run. WHO has calculated this and we have no choice but to finish the job. Many comment about the lack of Rotary mention in our media. It is up to us in each of our communities to share the good news with local reporters. When press releases or interviews are done, they always carry the Rotary banner but local editors often edit us out since they do not have knowledge of what Rotary is or does. It is up to each of us to build awareness in our own communities through local relationships we build with media representatives. That cannot be done from above. Just my thoughts, Doug V RC Woodstock-Oxford D7080 Ontario Canada

At 9:30AM on 3 December 2010, Dr. Gautam Jahagirdar RC Gulbarga North RI Dist 3160 wrote: Its a pleasure to be part of the gigantic campaign, where in we will be eradicating polio from the face of the world. I can proudly say that I have done my bit in the polio eradication program.

At 12:41PM on 17 November 2010, Lawoko Simon Peter wrote: Dear Team, Alot of focus has already been provided on the provision of the polio vaccines by almost all the several parties in the fight of Polio and yet actually very little efforts have been done is creating actual awareness about the disease and its impacts. In africa where the disease is more rampant, Majority of the communities that are largely affected by this disease live in villages several hundreds of kilometers from the towns and cities and as such, they have little access to information from media etc about the necessity to receive vaccines early. Infact among most rural communities, there are several fears about the vaccines itself and therefore several parents and families keep their children out intimes of polio vaccination. A true indication that our focus should be on the education of rural people about this disease and vacines but also on the provision of the actual vaccines. If we have to close this little gap, we need to reason beyound providing vaccines and start facing the root causes of issues that awaken the reoccurence of this deadly monster POLIO.

At 4:36PM on 25 October 2010, Brad Stewart wrote: I love it - great campaign and good will. I am proud to be part of the project as a Rotarian

At 10:58AM on 25 October 2010, Dr K.A. Abraham wrote: I am the current DG of District 3310. While I am very happy about Rotary's great effort at eradicating Polio, I am concerned why on two radio broadcasts, one of them on BBC, I heard commentariesd on Polio eradication but Rotary's great role was not mentioned. Why is this?

At 9:18AM on 25 October 2010, Kit Vaughn wrote: While the world welcomes all efforts and contributions to eradicate current polio cases, the nightmares Post Polio Syndrome victims suffer are unbelieveably harsh. The reality that polio may strike twice is a nasty double whammy. More should be done to recruit funding and resources for true eradication of all problems associated with this scourge.

At 9:14AM on 25 October 2010, howard piggee wrote: This polio campaign is too much effort; too much money; too much time and too much focus - especially when there are so many more health & sustenance issues to be addressed. Almost wasteful!!

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