I’ve partnered with Rotary in their campaign to End Polio Now.
Polio, a contagious and crippling disease that affects mostly children under five, is something that is not talked about frequently in the developed world. Many may not even be aware that polio is still a problem.
The good news is that polio is very close to being eradicated worldwide; we are 99% of the way there. Millennials have the opportunity to be the last generation to see this disease. Eradicating a crippling disease like polio would be a historical moment. If we end polio, we make history, and no child will have to suffer from this debilitating disease again.
There are many ways to get involved in the fight to end polio, from small but effective financial contributions, to helping make others aware of just how close we are to ending polio, like film director Kate Rhamey.
Below is a short video she made about the story of polio and the opportunity we have to make history.
What will your generation be the last to see? from End Polio Now on Vimeo.
Kate, who is a millennial herself, was kind enough to have a short interview with us about what inspired her.
DC: Hi Kate, thanks for allowing us to interview you today. First off, for those who are not familiar with you and your work, can you tell us a little about yourself? What is your background and what work have you done in the past?
KR: I graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a B.A. in Film Production where I received the School of Film and Television Production Award and was the Caucus Foundation nominee. In addition, I was honored as a Hollywood Foreign Press Association Fellow. After working for leading entertainment companies like Skydance Productions, Route One Films, and Circle of Confusion, I set out to form my own business; so, KR2 Productions was born. To date, I’I’ve worked with companies such as Proctor and Gamble, Secret Deodorant, Expedia, and Ricola. Currently, I’m in preproduction on a feature film slated for 2014.
DC: How did you first get involved in the end polio now campaign?
KR: I was working through Tongal when the opportunity arose to pitch my concept to Rotary. Immediately, I was excited about the project. After all, I could use my skills for social change. That’s good stuff.
DC: Polio and polio eradication efforts don’t seem to be talked about much in developed countries. Before getting involved in the campaign to end polio how much did you know about polio and efforts to eradicate it?
KR: To be completely honest, I thought polio was completely eradicated. You know… something you read about in history books. I was stunned to discover that children are still suffering from this cruel and paralyzing disease.
DC: Let’s talk about the video you made for the end polio now campaign. What was your inspiration for this video?
KR: I wanted to embrace the idea that polio can be a thing of the past. If you stop and think about it, technology is making items like checkbooks and landlines obsolete. So… what else can we make obsolete if we put our minds to it. It’s all about priorities, and ending polio, well… that should be at the top of the list.
DC: I really liked how in the video you related ending polio to things that people can easily relate and identify to. As I mentioned earlier, polio is something that many Americans and others throughout the developed world don’t hear about polio that often. How did this fact influence the creation and content behind the video?
KR: As a Millennial, I never really heard much about polio. When I spoke to people from other generations, they seemed to know much more about the disease and that it still affected children in developing countries. That’s why I focused on my generation for the video. It’s time that we get involved and stand side by side with other generations to help close the gap. It’s actually pretty awesome that Millennials could be the generation to see the eradication of polio.
DC: What sort of impact do you hope the video will have on the end polio now campaign?
KR: I just want an end to the disease. It’s that plain and simple. So, if the video recruits more people to join the fight, then I’m happy.
Join in, Share your Voice, and Donate. Let’s make history together.
- Generate Social Media Buzz – Share the video with your social networks and help raise awareness that we are this close to making history.
- Give Financially – Visit EndPolio.org and make a donation. Just $0.60 can protect a child from the disease. Every $1 you donate to Rotary will be matched with $2 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, up to $35 million/year.
- Learn More and Help Make History – Join us for a #MakeHistoryToday Twitter Chat, Thursday, December 19 at 7:00 – 7:30 pm CT with Millennial spokesperson Chelsea Krost. For more details: http://chelseakrost.com/2013/12/twitter-party-polio/. You can also learn more about polio at EndPolio.org.
While this post has been sponsored by Rotary, I’m proud to serve as an ambassador for their End Polio Now campaign.
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Good interview and thank you for what you’re doing Kate! My wife was just telling me the other day actually about a story she had been reading that was talking about how polio is still an issue in certain parts of the world. Thanks so much for what you’re doing and hopeful to see it eradicated in our lifetime.
FrugalRules Good words, John. It’s great to see how much progress we’ve made but to eradicate it would be such an accomplishment.
Awesome interview! It’s nice to see there is still good being done out there for those who need it most!
ImpersonalFinance I agree – It’s great to see that people are coming together to put an end to a terrible disease that we have the cure for.
Great interview and a noble cause! Bill Gates is pumping a ton of money to eradicate such ailments. And last I heard India finally eradicated Polio!
moneyconeDefinitely a great cause! It’s incredible to think of how far we have come with polio and modern medicine in general. Also I agree about Bill Gates – it’s awesome to see him putting his money toward such a great cause.
It’s scary to think that there are still issues with certain diseases that we have basically eradicated here in the states. Then I think about the fact that we have paranoid parents who refuse to vaccinate their children for some stupid reason (like thinking it causes autism) and I get a little angry. There are people in other countries who would kill to have access to the vaccines we have and your denying your child protection from it for some inane reason.
MicrosMissions Pretty sure you are going a little off topic there. I won’t respond because I’m not trying to start a blog debate ;)
DC @ Young Adult Money MicrosMissions Yeah, I did wind up rambling a little bit. Sorry about that. Hopefully it doesn’t create a flame war. Fun fact: Rolling stone once published an article talking how the HIV epidemic could be traced back the polio vaccine. On topic though, it would definitely be awesome if polio goes the way of small pox in our lifetimes.
David,
Thanks for using your blog to promote a cause like this. Let’s all hope we can see the end of this disease.
Cheers.