Dear All who attended the Rotary dinner event Tuesday 11 September,

A wonderful big thank you to Manon Lennon the PolioPlus Chair for District 7040, Mike Zivic the President of the Rotary Club of Montreal, other organizers and to all of you to make last Tuesday night a great occasion.

I have been overwhelmed with warming responses from the night, including from Mr Paul Martin, Rotary International, Gates Foundation, special guests and even representatives at WHO and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative who are going to feature the event on their website and their newsletter.

While personally, the night was hopefully quite satisfying for us, I believe in what it actually means to those who live in extreme poverty and in polio-risk areas. I also believe these events and your attendance honestly counts in a big way. One main objective of conversation, collaboration and conviction for polio eradication was thick in the air and please know this... 

You have played a role in the effort for the global eradication of polio and all of these inputs, big and small, count to something more than just a nice night out but actually get us closer to seeing a polio-free world for everyone, everywhere and forever! 

 

The conversations, learning and 'shouting' from a night like this are not to be underestimated. As someone who has absolute conviction that we can end extreme poverty, this type of evening and event will resonate with abounds beyond Tuesday evening. I thank you with those 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty and those facing the threat of polio - the ones we represent at a night like this.

 

In follow up please know that you have NOT been added to an email list or further propaganda (unless you would like!). However I did want to offer people two opportunities to further spread the advocacy and support for a polio-free world

1.     You can upload your photo of your 'Purple Pinkie' and message in support of the tireless workers and volunteers on the ground delivering vaccines (and win a chance to attend the Global Citizen Festival). See this website for details and have your friends do the same - http://www.theendofpolio.com/home/phototool-canada 

o If you do this before the end of Thursday you will go in the draw to win flights, accommodation and VIP tickets to the Global Citizen Festival for yourself and a +1 in New York on September 29!

o I will be hand delivering and showing the collage of 'Purple Pinkie' photos in Pakistan on World Polio Day (Oct 24) and then throughout the country in schools and Rotary Clubs in November and then India in December

2.     When you go to the 'Purple Pinkie' website to lodge your photo you can also sign up to our global petition to add your voice as we convince world leaders to agree upon polio eradication for good!

You will hopefully also receive an email from Rotary soon with their wonderful opportunities for advocacy and I would like to acknowledge that the legacy of polio eradication and this event would not have been possible without Rotary - Service Above Self!

 

I hope to pass on your 'Purple Pinkie' photo and message with me in Pakistan and India soon and thank you all once again for your attendance last week.

 

Many Thanks / d'Arcy Lunn