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American Red Cross Youth Volunteers Support African Childhood Health
Written by Ashleigh Howard, Youth Content Committee, RedCross.org
July 8, 2003 —
In just three days while in Indianapolis, Ind., for the American Red Cross National Convention, youth volunteers raised just over $3,000 for the Measles Initiative. The National Youth Council, a group of about 15 young adults from across the country that advocate for and lead youth efforts in Red Cross, organized the fundraiser as part of the Measles Initiative National Youth Campaign.
Eight middle school kids from Richard Henry Dana Middle School in Hawthorne, Calif., traveled with the Measles Initiative in Kenya. Since the campaign first began, youth have been some of its strongest supporters across the United States.
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Representatives took turns at the youth booth, pre-convention session, and general sessions asking for donations to the Measles Initiative. In exchange for at least a $1 donation, contributors were given a measles fact sheet attached to a polka-dotted ribbon to wear as a reminder of the scourge of measles. They also had the opportunity to sign one of two flags representing the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to be sent to Africa with volunteers working with the Measles Initiative.
The dedication and hard work of the Red Cross youth volunteers paid off, and they cheered as they received the final count for the fundraiser. Thanks to the generosity of the contention attendees, the group raised over $3,000.
Youth in the Red Cross are among the most passionate about the Measles Initiative, a five-year commitment to eliminate measles in Africa. Through the Initiative, the American Red Cross, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United Nations Foundation, the World Health Organization and UNICEF, hope to vaccinate 200 million children, saving approximately 1.2 million lives.
Many youth at convention were already active in promoting the Initiative in their local Red Cross chapters. For others, however, convention proved to be a learning experience as they heard about the Measles Initiative for the first time. The youth pre-convention session, led by the National Youth Council, provided information about the problem of measles in Africa as well as an opportunity to discuss project ideas. Projects focused on spreading awareness about the initiative as well as fundraising were discussed. Ideas for projects included a battle of the bands, spaghetti dinner/ fun fair, measles awareness week, and a penny drive.
Many youth also attended the viewing of “Disease of the Wind,” a documentary that follows Jane Seymour and eight middle school kids from Richard Henry Dana Middle School in Hawthorne, Calif., as they experience the Measles Initiative in Africa. The kids traveled alongside Red Cross volunteers during a week-long journey through Kenya in which 13,302,991 children were vaccinated for measles. The video brought the Measles Initiative to life as it allowed the youth to witness the suffering caused by measles countered with the joy of children and mothers at the hope brought by the vaccination. Tears could be seen in several pairs of eyes at the film’s end, and a new determination to stamp out the disease was evident in each youth at the end of convention.
For more information about the Measles Initiative or how you can get involved in the Measles Initiative National Youth Campaign, please visit www.measlesinitiative.org.
Related Articles:
Related Sites:
- Measles Initiative
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