Q:I have been appointed 2007-08 PolioPlus Sub-Committee Chair for our district. Although polio eradication remains a concern, there doesn't seem to be any club-level activity that I can get members excited about. I want to do a good job as the chair – can you give me any insight?

As your district’s PolioPlus Sub-Committee Chair, it is your responsibility to relay information about PolioPlus, communicating with both club and district audiences. As work toward the goal of global polio eradication continues, the PolioPlus Partners program provides all Rotarians the opportunity to remain engaged in PolioPlus activities.

The first step is to work with your fellow district leaders to set district and club PolioPlus goals. For example, District 7010 in Canada set a goal to allocate at least 10 percent of their available District Designated Fund (DDF) to the PolioPlus program. To do so, the district set forth a “PolioPlus Partners Challenge” to clubs, asking them to make individual or club donations. As an incentive, the district committed to match club donations to the dollar.

The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation also continue to match both cash and DDF donations to PolioPlus Partners (US $.50 for every $1.00 donated.) Let the clubs in your district know about this exciting opportunity to make their donation go even further. PolioPlus Partners project needs are updated monthly through the open projects list.

Next, it is important to communicate these goals to the clubs in your district. You could ask every club to have a program on PolioPlus, focusing on the needs of PolioPlus Partners and an update on the status of global polio eradication.

Also, seek help from other PolioPlus supporters in your district. To gain enthusiasm, ask a Rotarian who views PolioPlus as his or her primary interest to make a presentation. For example, thousands of Rotarians have participated in a polio National Immunization Day and can communicate the valuable impact of PolioPlus.

With every club and districts’ continuing support, we will demonstrate our resolve and achieve the final goal of a polio-free world.

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