The Measles Initiative latest video “The Last Measle” has been chosen as a finalist in the Large Organization category for the 4th Annual DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards! Check it out:

This was an incredibly competitive year, with submissions of 750 videos from more than 450 nonprofit organizations in 4 countries. They will select the top video in our category based on a public vote that begins today and ends at midnight EDT on April 7, 2010.

You can watch the other videos and vote here: http://www.youtube.com/nonprofitvideoawards.

Please forward this message to your friends and ask them to vote!

Hello Everyone! I hope our lack of blogtivity has not given you the impression we’re not still whole-heartedly hating Measles. On the contrary, we’ve been conniving for our next campaign event for the last month and IT’S FINALLY COMING TOGETHER!

If you’re wondering what to do this weekend and have got a hankering to MOVE, come to Grand Rapids’ First ever Measles Initiative Dance Party!!! The American Red Cross of Greater Grand Rapids’ Measles Crew is teaming up with CITIZENSHIRT, The Litribune Magazine, Bottom40, and the Coat of Many Colors to entertain and educate the masses with “Dance Party: More Music & Movement”.

The event–organized by our dedicated team of volunteers and endorsed by the dance enthusiasts at Bottom40–will be Grand Rapids’ first globally conscious dance party, raising funds for the Measles Initiative and increasing public awareness of the disease’s global impact. We will be featuring the diverse musical stylings of four well-known Grand Rapids artists: DJ SuperDre, Spydre Murphy, DJ Curtis Avison, and DJ Kung.

The cover is $5 and—as if the obvious musical incentive were not enough—this 21+ event will feature cheap, charitable drinks and a performance by West Michigan’s paramount break dance crew, 61syx.  Party doors will open at 8pm and the bass heats up at 9pm. Come out and join us! On Saturday, the global citizens of Grand Rapids will surely electrify the city with a rare, funky musical buzz.

So: 8pm, Saturday night (April 10th) at the Citizenshirt warehouse space (955 Godfrey Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503).

Be there!

Facebook Event: http://bit.ly/measlesparty

A couple months have passed since our last blog entry and we certainly have some exciting information to report.  On Sunday February 28^th, the Measles Initiative held their latest fundraiser at Rosa Parks Circle, raising $140 from at-will donations.

Thanks to the exceptional generosity of the general public, Greater Grand Rapids will once again help to save the lives of children around the globe.  The money raised will cover the cost of 140 vaccinations and bring us one step closer to the complete eradication of Measles.

But, Grand Rapids will not stop there.  Oh no.  We constantly wrack our Mid-western brains for new and exciting ways to engage local citizens in this global battle.  On Wednesday, March 10^th Grand Rapid’s local literary magazine, The Litribune, will host a benefit concert for the Measles Initiative at Billy’s Lounge.

The show will include performances by:

THOSE EIGHTY ACRES: http://myspace.com/thoseeightyacres

OH BRAVE YOUTH: http://www.myspace.com/ohbraveyouth

THE LITTLE VILLAGE: http://www.myspace.com/thelittlevillage

Wednesday is hump day and everyone needs a mid-week pick me up!  Come chase away those winter blues with a pint, support a worthy cause, and enjoy some incredible local Grand Rapids artists.

We, at the Measles Initiative, hope to see you all there with bells on.

Until then, keep up to date on the latest Measles news at http://measlesinitiative.org

Bridget Kennedy

Measles Initiative Manager

American Red Cross of Greater Grand Rapids

We’ve recently announced some important gains in the fight against measles, and it’s because of donations to the American Red Cross and Measles Initiative that we have such tremendous progress to report.

Among the findings we’ve announced is that we’ve reduced measles deaths by 78% worldwide in less than a decade—saving the lives of an estimated 4.3 million children.

For an advance look at the full article—and a video showing the fight against measles from a child’s perspective—click here.

Between 2000 and 2008, international vaccination programs and community education brought measles deaths down from 733,000 deaths a year to 164,000.

We are making great strides, but the fight won’t be over until we can be sure no one will suffer or die from this preventable disease ever again.

Because measles is so contagious, it’s vitally important that we continue our global vaccination programs to make sure new generations of children are immunized.

Thanks again for being our partner in this life-saving work!

Sarah Geurkink
International Services Coordinator
American Red Cross of Greater Grand Rapids

P.S. To learn more about the Measles Initiative, through which the Red Cross supports vaccination campaigns in more than 60 countries, visit the initiative’s website: www.measlesinitiative.org.

The Measles Initiative in the News:

Global Measles Deaths Drop by 78% Since 2000

Middle East measles deaths drop 93%

India: Lagging in Fighting Measles

After weeks of preparation, students organized a Measles Initiative Week, involving the whole school in an advocacy and fund raising campaign for the Initiative. As a class, students researched facts about the measles and announced to them to their peers throughout the week. On Friday of Measles Week, Grand River Prep held a Jean Day fundraiser. Students, teachers and staff who wanted to wear jeans that day answered a question about the Measles (taken from what they had learned) and donated one dollar to vaccinate a child in Africa or Southeast Asia. Together, everyone at Grand River Prep helped to vaccinate two hundred and twenty-two children!

On behalf of the American Red Cross of Greater Grand Rapids, as well as the children and communities who are affected by this disease across the world:

THANK YOU GRAND RIVER PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL!

I think we can all agree that it feels good to find a good “steal.”  I think we could also agree that it feels good to save lives.  Why not do both at the same time?

When I was a kid, I loved to see what I could get from the dollar store.  Who am I kidding?  I still love to see what I can get from the dollar store, but these days things might cost a few nickels more than $1 or even, dare I say, $2!  The Measles Initiative Dollar Store was a long shot idea of collecting donated items (e.g. books, shirts, bags, etc.) and selling everything for just $1.  Every item sold would provide one vaccination for one child.

Over the course of the month, we collected everything: huge garbage bags filled with shirts, handmade scarves, Little Mermaid purses, boxes filled with CDs from Josh Groban to Harry Connick Jr.’s Christmas album, Chinese paper kites, and everything in between.  I spent much of the Friday night before laying out all of the items on my living room floor and sorting & boxing.  Everyone’s generous donations filled my entire living room!

We set up our booth at the Eastown Street Fair on Wealthy Street near Atlas at 7:30am.  Matt rigged up our newly created Measles Initiative banner (thanks to the wonderful artists at Avenue for the Arts!) and hung it from the top of our booth.

It was a beautiful day and lots of fun people were roaming the street checking out all of the artists’ booths beside our yard sale of a booth.  However, it didn’t take long before people were drawn into the Dollar Store… following the scent of a good deal, I guess.

Throughout the day, many people just gave donations without taking any items as we were shouting out “Everything is $1! $1 saves 1 life!”

Check out some pictures from the event!

Thrifty people. Saving lives.

Raking in the vaccinations

Americorps at the Dollar Store! (Lindsay, Jeena, Sarah, Ben)

Busiest booth at the fair!

Just one dollar! -Ernad

The booth was open from 9am to around 7pm.  By the end of the day, the entire team had had a lot of practice shouting out into the crowds of people to come into our booth, so Ernie started yelling out “Two items for $1 or $5 for whatever you can carry!”  Everything that wasn’t sold was going to be brought to Goodwill or Salvation Army.  We packed up the booth, but Kirsten held down the fort and sold a lot of the leftovers.

The remaining items, still selling like hotcakes

The Grand Rapids community, in a single day, saved over 870 lives!

A job well done. We salute you, Grand Rapids.

A total of $982 was raised from this event and after all costs, 871 vaccinations were provided! Thank you to everyone who donated, who set up, who yelled in the streets, who tolerated our yelling, who bought items, who cleaned up, and who care about making a difference.

The end of September brought us up to nearly 30% of our goal!  Great start Grand Rapids!

The American Red Cross of Greater Grand Rapids (ARCGGR) has just recently become active in fundraising and raising awareness for the Measles Initiative, one of several international services of the Red Cross.  This event was somewhat of a kickoff to a busy rest of the year as our Measles Initiative Team of the ARCGGR has set an ambitious goal of $5,000 by the end of 2009.  5,000 vaccinations and 5,000 lives saved.  We only had ~$460 of our goal raised from donations from friends (THANK YOU GADJADAR’S) and selling delicious fair trade coffee at the Fulton Street Farmer’s Market.

The ARCGGRMI team was in need of a sign for future Measles Initiative events, so we acquired a canvas banner and traced a map of Michigan to be painted at Avenue for the Arts.  The idea was to have a long lasting sign for the future that the Grand Rapids community actually had a hand in creating.

Everyone watching a performance and painting the mosaic

Apart from painting and spreading the good word of measles vaccinations, we were even able to sell our new Measles bracelets & t-shirts!

Sara Bakker and I were enjoying telling people about the Measles Initiative and watching people paint the Michigan mosaic from 4-9pm.  Our “booth,” amongst others, was located between two brick buildings.  In the center of the lot, there was an area set up for several performances throughout the beautiful afternoon and evening.  From singing, dancing, and drumming, the sound of music and smell of creativity were in the air.

Watch the video below, created by Jon Brown, which shows how much fun Sara and I had at this event!

Hurray! 35 lives saved!

Support the Boys & Girls Club!

Go green!

We have partnered up with the local Boys & Girls Club by purchasing red reusable bags for the boys & girls to decorate.  We will be selling these bags for $3. Profits will benefit both the Measles Initiative and the Boys & Girls Club.  Pick out your own, handmade, special addition bag.

You need a vaccination to Livestrong…

Following in Lance’s footsteps (tire tracks?), we will now be selling black, red, and white rubber bracelets which are engraved with the clever “I HATE MEASLES” tag line.  I do actually hate the measles.  Now you know.  Informative, yet fashionable.

Live...

measles suck

Thanks a great deal to the hard workers at CITIZENSHIRT, they were able to create and produce 100 great quality printed cotton t-shirts within a week!  Produced in classic white and light blue, the t-shirts read “measles suck” on the front with symbolic red dots on the right side.  $15 and 7 lives saved for each one of these shirts.  I have 2!  You should too.

Stay tuned for updates from Jeena, Measles Initiative Program Manager,
and Sarah, International Services Program Coordinator!