The Measles Initiative's Notes
View: Full | Compact
American Red Cross honors Bucknell University track star as Measles Initiative Advocate of the Month
By Jill Grospierre, Measles Initiative, American Red Cross
Some people run for fun and others jog for exercise. Amanda Steinke not only races to win – she sprints to saves lives.
“I chose the American Red Cross (to volunteer with) because I had a high level of respect for the things they did and how they helped people.” explained Steinke, a sophomore at Bucknell University. “It was my advisor at the American Red Cross, Polly Patterson, who suggested that I organize a fundraiser for the Measles Initiative.”
Every day, an estimated 540 children die due to measles – a disease that has almost been forgotten in the United States, but is still common in developing countries around the world. Launched in 2001, the Measles Initiative—led by the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and World Health Organization—provides technical and financial support to governments and communities on vaccination campaigns and disease surveillance worldwide.
Steinke knew immediately that she wanted to support this cause, and as a member of the university track team, a running event seemed like a natural fit.
“Lewisburg (Pennsylvania) has a prominent running community, and I just thought it would be fun to use my teammates and community, and try to get other students involved as well,” she said.
The Miles for Measles 5-kilometer run, which took place last month and was sponsored by the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, attracted 50 runners. Through donations, the participants helped save 700 children who might have otherwise died from measles. For each dollar raised, one child can be vaccinated through the Measles Initiative.
By Jill Grospierre, Measles Initiative, American Red Cross
Some people run for fun and others jog for exercise. Amanda Steinke not only races to win – she sprints to saves lives.
“I chose the American Red Cross (to volunteer with) because I had a high level of respect for the things they did and how they helped people.” explained Steinke, a sophomore at Bucknell University. “It was my advisor at the American Red Cross, Polly Patterson, who suggested that I organize a fundraiser for the Measles Initiative.”
Every day, an estimated 540 children die due to measles – a disease that has almost been forgotten in the United States, but is still common in developing countries around the world. Launched in 2001, the Measles Initiative—led by the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and World Health Organization—provides technical and financial support to governments and communities on vaccination campaigns and disease surveillance worldwide.
Steinke knew immediately that she wanted to support this cause, and as a member of the university track team, a running event seemed like a natural fit.
“Lewisburg (Pennsylvania) has a prominent running community, and I just thought it would be fun to use my teammates and community, and try to get other students involved as well,” she said.
The Miles for Measles 5-kilometer run, which took place last month and was sponsored by the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, attracted 50 runners. Through donations, the participants helped save 700 children who might have otherwise died from measles. For each dollar raised, one child can be vaccinated through the Measles Initiative.
Steinke advertised a $15 entrance fee, but in many cases people gave more. Steinke negotiated with the college so students could opt to pay for their entrance fee through their Bucknell accounts instead of paying cash upfront.
Despite the fact that most college students have minimal financial resources, Steinke maintains “it’s important for others to know that it doesn’t take a lot to make a difference.”
Patterson, executive director with the American Red Cross Union County Chapter, asked Steinke to support the Measles Initiative because of its impact and connection to youth. An estimated 600 million children in more than 60 countries have been vaccinated against measles since 2000. Despite making significant progress, more work is needed – 197,000 people died of complications related to the disease in 2007.
“I have been fortunate to grow up in a home that has provided me with everything I need,” Steinke admitted. “I know that because of this I have the opportunity and obligation to help those in need.”
Miles for Measles wasn’t Steinke’s first major achievement and it undoubtedly won’t be her last. Girl Scouts, vice-president of the student council, orchestra, the student newspaper and field hockey fill her resume. During her senior year, she was also a co-captain for the track and field team. Despite her academic and athletic responsibilities, Steinke is committed to making a lasting-impact wherever her future takes her.
“Whenever I embark on something, and I am doing a project like (Miles for Measles), where I serve in my community, I know I am giving back and helping others,” she added. “But I am also growing and becoming a better person through this experience.”
Steinke is a two-time Patriot League Academic honors recipient. She also received the All-State Academic Award, Graduating Senior Spotlight Award and the Soroptimist Scholarship.
To learn how you can join efforts to raise awareness and funds for the Measles Initiative, visit www.measlesinitiative.org.
Despite the fact that most college students have minimal financial resources, Steinke maintains “it’s important for others to know that it doesn’t take a lot to make a difference.”
Patterson, executive director with the American Red Cross Union County Chapter, asked Steinke to support the Measles Initiative because of its impact and connection to youth. An estimated 600 million children in more than 60 countries have been vaccinated against measles since 2000. Despite making significant progress, more work is needed – 197,000 people died of complications related to the disease in 2007.
“I have been fortunate to grow up in a home that has provided me with everything I need,” Steinke admitted. “I know that because of this I have the opportunity and obligation to help those in need.”
Miles for Measles wasn’t Steinke’s first major achievement and it undoubtedly won’t be her last. Girl Scouts, vice-president of the student council, orchestra, the student newspaper and field hockey fill her resume. During her senior year, she was also a co-captain for the track and field team. Despite her academic and athletic responsibilities, Steinke is committed to making a lasting-impact wherever her future takes her.
“Whenever I embark on something, and I am doing a project like (Miles for Measles), where I serve in my community, I know I am giving back and helping others,” she added. “But I am also growing and becoming a better person through this experience.”
Steinke is a two-time Patriot League Academic honors recipient. She also received the All-State Academic Award, Graduating Senior Spotlight Award and the Soroptimist Scholarship.
To learn how you can join efforts to raise awareness and funds for the Measles Initiative, visit www.measlesinitiative.org.
Some younger siblings tag along with their older brothers or sisters and end up getting into trouble; Katie Miller, however, wound up saving lives.
Miller, a junior at Polytechnic School in Pasadena, California, first became involved with the American Red Cross in the eighth grade by following her older brother to the school’s Red Cross Club activities, an extracurricular program then reserved for older students. Her teachers and peers immediately recognized her leadership potential, and Miller quickly went from “little sister” to president of the club.
“Early last year, when I was preparing for this new responsibility, I was browsing the Red Cross Web site, looking for additional projects the club could be involved in this year, and noticed the Measles Initiative,” Miller explained. “After learning more, I realized that it was so simple to get involved and our club would be a great amplifier for the cause.”
It costs less than $1 to protect a child against measles through the Measles Initiative, and Miller knew that simple message coupled with the immense need would be enough to get started.
The first of their successful campaigns was a holiday cookbook, to which many members of the school community contributed recipes, and many more purchased.
“It was around Thanksgiving and Christmas time, and I wanted to come up with a way to get the entire school involved, that kids all ages could contribute, as well as families and teachers,” Miller said. And so the idea for a cookbook was born. “The first page of the book includes an explanation of the Measles Initiative and how people can get involved, so it not only raised money but awareness also.”
The holiday cookbook was followed by a week-long, school-wide fundraising endeavor known as the “One Dollar, One Life” campaign. The Red Cross Club brought the idea to the American Red Cross San Gabriel Pomona Valley Chapter, where International Services Manager Phillippa Herbert joined the effort and provided the students with additional resources, including spotted lapel pins that each donor was given after contributing at least $1.
“The Measles Initiative is very close to my own heart, so it’s a cause that I encourage youth to become involved in,” said Herbert, who helped engage several other high school clubs in the fundraiser.
It was obvious within days, by the number of spotted pins on backpacks and money collected, that Miller’s efforts had helped unite the school and community around this issue. Miller, along with her fellow Polytechnic Red Cross Club members, raised more than $5,000 for the Measles Initiative throughout this year’s campaigns. Far exceeding her goals for the first-year fundraisers, Miller cannot even begin to imagine how many lives the club’s efforts will help save next year.
In addition to her involvement with the Measles Initiative, Miller participates in the Southern California Youth Consortium, organized by the San Gabriel Pomona Valley Chapter, and is her area’s Youth Corps Executive Board President. Outside of the Red Cross, Miller is active in the United Nations USA, the Pasadena Mayor's Committee on Human Rights, Ronald McDonald House, Pasadena Humane Society and other local agencies. She is also a recipient of the Navin Narayan Speaker Award, which will be presented to her at the Red Cross National Youth Institute conference in Florida later this month.
Despite such a full schedule, Miller maintains “it is very, very simple to get involved. Whether it’s just putting out a can and asking people to donate change or publishing a cookbook, there are so many opportunities for people to support this cause.”
To learn how you can join efforts to raise awareness and funds for the Measles Initiative, visit www.measlesinitiative.org .
About the Measles Initiative:
The Measles Initiative is a partnership committed to reducing measles deaths globally. Launched in 2001, the Initiative—led by the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the World Health Organization—provides technical and financial support to governments and communities on vaccination campaigns and disease surveillance worldwide. The Initiative has supported the vaccination of more than 600 million children in more than 60 countries helping reduce measles deaths by 74% globally and 89% in Africa (compared to 2000).
Miller, a junior at Polytechnic School in Pasadena, California, first became involved with the American Red Cross in the eighth grade by following her older brother to the school’s Red Cross Club activities, an extracurricular program then reserved for older students. Her teachers and peers immediately recognized her leadership potential, and Miller quickly went from “little sister” to president of the club.
“Early last year, when I was preparing for this new responsibility, I was browsing the Red Cross Web site, looking for additional projects the club could be involved in this year, and noticed the Measles Initiative,” Miller explained. “After learning more, I realized that it was so simple to get involved and our club would be a great amplifier for the cause.”
It costs less than $1 to protect a child against measles through the Measles Initiative, and Miller knew that simple message coupled with the immense need would be enough to get started.
The first of their successful campaigns was a holiday cookbook, to which many members of the school community contributed recipes, and many more purchased.
“It was around Thanksgiving and Christmas time, and I wanted to come up with a way to get the entire school involved, that kids all ages could contribute, as well as families and teachers,” Miller said. And so the idea for a cookbook was born. “The first page of the book includes an explanation of the Measles Initiative and how people can get involved, so it not only raised money but awareness also.”
The holiday cookbook was followed by a week-long, school-wide fundraising endeavor known as the “One Dollar, One Life” campaign. The Red Cross Club brought the idea to the American Red Cross San Gabriel Pomona Valley Chapter, where International Services Manager Phillippa Herbert joined the effort and provided the students with additional resources, including spotted lapel pins that each donor was given after contributing at least $1.
“The Measles Initiative is very close to my own heart, so it’s a cause that I encourage youth to become involved in,” said Herbert, who helped engage several other high school clubs in the fundraiser.
It was obvious within days, by the number of spotted pins on backpacks and money collected, that Miller’s efforts had helped unite the school and community around this issue. Miller, along with her fellow Polytechnic Red Cross Club members, raised more than $5,000 for the Measles Initiative throughout this year’s campaigns. Far exceeding her goals for the first-year fundraisers, Miller cannot even begin to imagine how many lives the club’s efforts will help save next year.
In addition to her involvement with the Measles Initiative, Miller participates in the Southern California Youth Consortium, organized by the San Gabriel Pomona Valley Chapter, and is her area’s Youth Corps Executive Board President. Outside of the Red Cross, Miller is active in the United Nations USA, the Pasadena Mayor's Committee on Human Rights, Ronald McDonald House, Pasadena Humane Society and other local agencies. She is also a recipient of the Navin Narayan Speaker Award, which will be presented to her at the Red Cross National Youth Institute conference in Florida later this month.
Despite such a full schedule, Miller maintains “it is very, very simple to get involved. Whether it’s just putting out a can and asking people to donate change or publishing a cookbook, there are so many opportunities for people to support this cause.”
To learn how you can join efforts to raise awareness and funds for the Measles Initiative, visit www.measlesinitiative.org .
About the Measles Initiative:
The Measles Initiative is a partnership committed to reducing measles deaths globally. Launched in 2001, the Initiative—led by the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the World Health Organization—provides technical and financial support to governments and communities on vaccination campaigns and disease surveillance worldwide. The Initiative has supported the vaccination of more than 600 million children in more than 60 countries helping reduce measles deaths by 74% globally and 89% in Africa (compared to 2000).
Katie Miller (center), and friends Nicole Zhu (left) and Ann Fang (right), also raised funds for the American Red Cross during the 2008 Southern California wildfires.
American Red Cross San Gabriel Pomona Valley Chapter CEO Ben Green presents a local award to Katie Miller (right), Measles Initiative Advocate of the Month.
WASHINGTON, Monday, October 06, 2008 — Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to humans and the only way to prevent the disease is through vaccination. An estimated 242 000 people, the majority of them children, died from measles in 2006. The failure to deliver at least one dose of measles vaccine to all infants remains the primary reason for high measles mortality.
It costs less than US $1 to immunize a child against measles, making it one of the most cost-effective public health interventions. Investing in the goal to reduce global measles deaths by 90% between 2000-10 also strengthens national immunization programs, improves health systems in the long-term and significantly contributes to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goal Four to reduce under-five mortality by two thirds by 2015.
For the complete article, please visit: http://www.redcross.org/pr
It costs less than US $1 to immunize a child against measles, making it one of the most cost-effective public health interventions. Investing in the goal to reduce global measles deaths by 90% between 2000-10 also strengthens national immunization programs, improves health systems in the long-term and significantly contributes to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goal Four to reduce under-five mortality by two thirds by 2015.
For the complete article, please visit: http://www.redcross.org/pr
The Vodafone Foundation-United Nations Foundation Partnership, Merck & Co., Inc., the Kessler Family Foundation and the American Red Cross announce support for partnership at Clinton Global Initiative
WASHINGTON, Thursday, September 25, 2008 — The Measles Initiative announced today $9 million worth of donations from the Vodafone Foundation-United Nations Foundation Technology Partnership, Merck & Co, Inc., the Kessler Family Foundation and the American Red Cross. This support will help to enable the Measles Initiative to vaccinate an estimated 76 million children in about 25 countries during 2009.
“Measles deaths have declined 68% globally since the Measles Initiative partnership began in 2001,” says Michele Kessler, American Red Cross Global Measles Ambassador and founder of the Kessler Family Foundation. “But a funding gap for 2009 means we are in danger of losing our momentum. These commitments will help reduce that gap and allow us to continue saving lives.”
For the complete article, please visit: http://www.redcross.org/pr
WASHINGTON, Thursday, September 25, 2008 — The Measles Initiative announced today $9 million worth of donations from the Vodafone Foundation-United Nations Foundation Technology Partnership, Merck & Co, Inc., the Kessler Family Foundation and the American Red Cross. This support will help to enable the Measles Initiative to vaccinate an estimated 76 million children in about 25 countries during 2009.
“Measles deaths have declined 68% globally since the Measles Initiative partnership began in 2001,” says Michele Kessler, American Red Cross Global Measles Ambassador and founder of the Kessler Family Foundation. “But a funding gap for 2009 means we are in danger of losing our momentum. These commitments will help reduce that gap and allow us to continue saving lives.”
For the complete article, please visit: http://www.redcross.org/pr
Following the CDC's report on the recent domestic measles outbreak, the following statement was posted on: www.measlesinitiative.org,
WASHINGTON, Thursday, August 21, 2008 — Measles, a highly contagious viral disease, can result in serious complications and death. As a result of a successful vaccination program, measles was eliminated in the Americas in 2002. However, from January through July 2008, 131 cases have been reported in the United States. This is more cases than have been reported through July in any year since 1996.
For the full statement, please go to: http://www.redcross.org/pr
WASHINGTON, Thursday, August 21, 2008 — Measles, a highly contagious viral disease, can result in serious complications and death. As a result of a successful vaccination program, measles was eliminated in the Americas in 2002. However, from January through July 2008, 131 cases have been reported in the United States. This is more cases than have been reported through July in any year since 1996.
For the full statement, please go to: http://www.redcross.org/pr
Watch for Advocate of the Month updates!
Don't forget, if you're a member of a Youth Club or Chapter, and you've held a unique and successful (success is not necessarily defined by $$) event recently, let us know about it.
If you are chosen as Advocate of the Month we will contact you for additional details and pictures of the event!
Don't forget, if you're a member of a Youth Club or Chapter, and you've held a unique and successful (success is not necessarily defined by $$) event recently, let us know about it.
If you are chosen as Advocate of the Month we will contact you for additional details and pictures of the event!