Rotary Club for Global Action and our #OneStepCloser campaign featured in Rotary International's Voices of Members video to commemorate #WorldPolioDay!
#OneStepCloser #EndPolioNow #RotaryGlobalAction

I DONATED TO #EndPolioNow
Il 24 ottobre si celebra la giornata mondiale della polio. Al World Health Summit i leaders globali hanno assunto un impegno per un totale di 2,6 milioni di dollari nei prossimi tre anni a sostegno della campagna di eradicazione della polio. Il Rotary si è impegnato a raccogliere 150 milioni di dollari ed oggi più che mai questa battaglia deve essere sostenuta per mettere al sicuro tutti i bambini del mondo. Ogni piccolo contributo è importante per questo vi invito ad unirvi a me e sostenere #EndPolioNow #WorldPolioDay #Rotary #rotaryinternational #rotaryfoundation
I DONATED TO #EndPolioNow
World Polio Day is celebrated on 24 October. At the World Health Summit, global leaders pledged a total of $ 2.6 million over the next three years to support the polio eradication campaign. Rotary has pledged to raise $ 150 million, and today more than ever this battle must be waged to secure all the children of the world. Every little contribution is important so I invite you to join me and support #EndPolioNow #WorldPolioDay #Rotary #rotaryinternational #rotaryfoundation

$25,000!!! HUGE THANKS to all of the donors and all of the fundraisers! We still have a couple of weeks - let's keep up the momentum!!!

Around the world, people still want to join the effort! The Rotaract Club of Auckland City joined the #OneStepCloser campaign by walking across the city raising funds while talking to people about PolioPlus. Just like our team walking through Italy, the Auckland City team ended their walk at an Italian restaurant to celebrate the day's achievement!

I wrapped up my 10 day, 120 mile support hike today at the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Maple Grove, MN. It was another fun meeting with a great group of Rotarians. When I started this support hike my wife gave me a quote card. "When your heart is moved with compassion you will find a way to serve." I think it applies to everything I enjoy about Rotary. There are so many people that are compassionate, and passionate, and willing to take action through service, and have fun doing it. Thanks for letting me be a part of this Raise for Rotary team! Congratulations to the lead team who did their hike in Italy! Thanks for the inspiration! Hopefully we can connect sometime within the Rotary world.

For day 6 of 10, the 13+ mile hike took me to the to the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Winchell trail is one of the original trails in the area and it was a great opportunity to walk through some Twin Cities history. The loop took me through part of the University of Minnesota and on both sides of the river.

Day 5 of 10 was a 11 mile trek through and around Rice Lake, WI. I was nice to get some great scenery with Rice Lake, and the Red Cedar Rivers and backdrops. The Rice Lake Rotary Club has done a nice job putting up trail signage around the Trail system. It was another beautiful fall day, but cooler and the wind was definitely blowing. I feel pretty lucky to have had good weather. Rotary District 5960 Governor Dayle Quigley joined me for a quick walk around Moon Lake Park before we headed over to the noon Rotary meeting. Tomorrow I head back to Minnnesota.

Thank you to the Rotary Club of Roma Cassia who held a special event to welcome our team to Rome! Grateful to them and the District 2080 DGE Maria Carla Ciccioriccio for contributing to the #OneStepCloser campaign as well!

Day 28 - Finished in front of Saint Peter's Basilica! Met by Brian and Jason which was a real treat! The following days were a blur of activity which is only now starting to calm down! Thanks to everyone for the support we got and continue to get! Stay tuned for our presentations on the trip.

Day 4 of 10 was a 13.6 mile hike from the Mississippi River Gateway park to our home. I was able to start the day with a walk across the Mississippi River dam that connects Brooklyn Park and Coon Rapids, Minnesota. District 5950 Governor Lloyd Campbell joined me in the morning. It was great to have his support. It was another beautiful fall day in Minnesota!

Day 3 of 10 started out with the Arbor Lake trails in Maple Grove, Minnesota and ended with some of the trails around Rice Lake in Minnesota. It gets a little confusing. We live near two different Rice Lakes. One in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin. Both beautiful lakes in their own ways. It was another beautiful fall day in Minnesota.

THE TEAM IN ITALY IS ALMOST TO ROME!
Our #OneStepCloser team only has a couple of more days left. We are so excited to arrive in Rome this week where the ROTARY CLUB ROMA CASSIA will be welcoming us for a special event!

All throughout this journey, the Italian Rotarians have been so incredibly welcoming. Looking forward to making even more friends this week in Roma!

Welcome to Tim and Gian Michele - we are thrilled to have you supporting our campaign! Please be sure to share images of your walks with us at rotaryglobalaction@gmail.com and we will be posting to social media to promote your walks!

The Italy team is getting very close to Rome and wrapping up their hike. I am on day 2 of 10 of my hike supporting this project. Today was a 10 mile hike in the beautiful Crow Hassan Park Preserve just NW of our home in Maple Grove. My wife Cheryl, and son Aaron joined me for the final 3 miles today. It was another beautiful fall day - this time in Minnesota.

Day 1 for me was a 10 mile hike along the Tascobia State Trail section of the Ice Age Trail. As an old railway the grade is friendly. You can almost feel the trains rolling down the tracks. The fall colors are definitely developing in Wisconsin.

Here is my plan for my 10 day #OneStepCloser Team hiking/walking adventure. Thanks for supporting Rotary's Polio Fund! Click the #OneStepCloser link above to see what the Italy group is doing too. The money all goes to the same place, so feel free to donate on this site or on their site.

** If you are a Rotarian, make sure to enter information on your Rotary membership so it can be connected to your personal Rotary Foundation donations, and your club will get credit for the donation.

Check back periodically for updates!

Oggi 21° giorno di cammino, tra 8 giorni i nostri Amici Rotariani statunitensi arriveranno a Roma.

Ci siamo quasi: stiamo per cancellare per sempre la polio
Ma per farlo dobbiamo continuare il nostro lavoro in favore dei bambini.
Hina Fatima ha 2 anni, la poliomielite ha paralizzato per sempre la sua gamba destra.
Con il vaccino tutto questo non sarebbe successo e Hina oggi potrebbe correre e giocare serena, come ogni bambino merita.
Fino a quando non raggiungeremo tutti i bambini con il vaccino, nessun bambino sarà al sicuro dalla polio.

Today 21st day of walking, in 8 days our US Rotarian Friends will arrive in Rome

Hina Fatima is 2 years old, polio has paralysed forever her right leg.
If she would be vaccinated this wouldn’t happen and Hina today could run and play serene, as every child deserves.
Until we reach all children with the vaccine, no child will be safe from polio.

This weekend in New York, Rotary International president Jennifer Jones took a moment to offer words of encouragement to the RCGA #OneStepCloser team!

Day 18, Sunday, Sept. 25. We are now 10 days from Rome and spending the night in Spoleto at the Casa Religioso Di Ospitalita Nazareno within the medieval city walls. Saw the cathedral with beautiful frescos, the 13th century aquaduct, a Roman amphetheater, and a fortress. Most of today was on bike paths!

Day 15 - Sep 22, arrived in Assisi and were met by members of local Rotary clubs. They had arranged for Francesca, a local tour guide, to show us around!

Yesterday (Day 13, 20 Sept) we stopped at an eremo (hermitage) that had be restored starting in the 1980s, leading to the discovery of a 15th century fresco in the chapel. Brother Luigi tells the story and how the building now provides a place for todays pilgrims. See the youtube video for his story.

Undicesimo giorno di cammino!!!
Incoraggiamo i nostri Amici in cammino verso Pietralunga!!!!!

Eleventh day of walking !!!
We encourage our friends on their way to Pietralunga !!!!!

Day 10, Sept 17, We arrived in Citta di Castello early enough to do a little sightseeing and grocery shopping. Had to climb the cylindrical bell tower for a view. Tower dates from 11th century, part of old cathedral.

ONE WEEK DOWN! Helen, Mike and Jim have walked from Florence to La Verna. They were joined at the beginning by Rotary members from Firenze (Florence) and have been fortunate to also be making buddies on the trail.

The walk has definitely been challenging along the way but this amazing team is up for it, all in the name of eradicating polio.

Please take a moment to make a contribution and share this campaign with your networks - 100% of proceeds raised are going to the Polio Fund of the Rotary Foundation and everything you donate will be matched 2-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. All donations are also automatically credited to your PHF recognition where applicable. Thank you so much for your continued support!

#rotaryglobalaction #onestepcloser #EndPolioNow #endpolio #rotary #rotaract #interact

Day 7 - Sept 14: Starting the morning in La Verna, catching up on emails etc. A heartfelt thank you to Rotary Club of Elko Desert Sunrise for their generous support. We are moving One-Step-Closer to end polio!

I nostri Amici Rotariani stanno camminando da 5 giorni nella loro marcia da Firenze a Roma.
Seguiamoli idealmente, sosteniamoli nel Loro progetto concreto di promozione del programma END POLIO, doniamo a favore di END POLIO così li aiutiamo e raggiungiamo insieme il nostro obiettivo di 1.500 euro.

Our Rotarian Friends have been walking for 5 days on their march from Florence to Rome.
Let's ideally follow them, support them in their concrete project to promote the END POLIO program, we donate to END POLIO so we help them and together we reach our goal of 1,500 euros.

Saturday, 10 Sept.: A long day but very pleasant. Walked through forest on trails and logging roads before dropping down to the now much smaller Arno river which we left on Thursday in Florence.

We just finished our second day of 28 to Rome. Wed. 8 Sept. we had a great time with the Rotary Club of Florence North - we greatly appreciate their welcome and offer to support our campaign. Yesterday, our first day of walking, we walked along the Arn River. Today we went through vineyards, olive trees and forests.

We appreciate the support of other Rotary clubs. Last night we were guests at the Rotary Club of South Florence where we were treated to a friendly welcome and generous support for our club's campaign to end polio. We also want to acknowledge the continued support of the Rotary Club of Yelm.

Quando parliamo di Polio Plus, noi sappiamo che parliamo di eradicazione della polio, ma ci rendiamo conto di quanti altri benefici produce il programma?
Il "plus" è tutto ciò che genera la campagna di eradicazione della polio.
Possono essere molte cose importanti: un triciclo manuale, l'accesso all'acqua, cure mediche di qualità, un letto comodo, del sapone e comunque aiuta a costruire la pace.


When we talk about Polio Plus, we know we are eradicating polio, but do we realize how many added benefits the program brings?
The “plus” is something else that is provided as a part of the polio eradication campaign.
It might be a hand-operated tricycle, an access to water, an additional medical treatment, bed nets or soap and it help to build peace.

Guidata dal Rotary e dal OMS, la Global Polio Eradication Initiative è la più grande iniziativa internazionale di salute pubblica della storia; quando è iniziata la GPEI, ogni giorno la polio paralizzava più di 1000 bambini in tutto il mondo.

Led by Rotary and the WHO, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative is the largest international public health initiative in history; when GPEI started, polio paralyzed more than 1,000 children around the world every day.

Ciao, il prossimo 24 ottobre ricorrerà la Giornata Mondiale della Polio 2022, un’opportunità per ogni socio del Rotary International di radunare il mondo intorno a END POLIO!!

#insieme possiamo fare di più che da soli per sconfiggere la polio

A big thank you to the members of the Rotary Club of Elko and the Rotary Club of Elko Desert Sunrise for hosting us and supporting our fundraiser!

A big thank you to the members of the Rotary Club of Elko and the Rotary Club of Elko Desert Sunrise for hosting us and supporting our fundraiser!

While this is a fundraising effort of the Rotary Club for Global Action, we could not be doing it without our friend Jim Ludwick from the Rotary e-Club of District 5190. Jim has an amazing YouTube channel where he shares his journey to get #OneStepCloser and will be updating that continuously through the walk through Italy.

Please take a moment and get to know Jim!

So thrilled to support the Rotary Club for Global Action and our efforts to get #OneStepCloser to ending polio forever!

Thanks to everyone who has donated so far! We are so excited to be kicking off this event and hope that like Gregory Owen, you can find your own creative ways to join us!!!

A big thank you to the members of the Rotary Club of Yelm! Their club is matching (up to $250) individual member donations! It is wonderful that a Rotarian's donation to our campaign also serves as a personal contribution to the Rotary Foundation. This also helps their club.

40 days until with start the walk! We appreciate everyone who has supported this effort. We will be doing a podcast on "I'm a Rotarian" on August 25 to talk about our club's #OneStepCloser campaign. We are training by walking from our house in rural Nevada.

40 days until with start the walk! We appreciate everyone who has supported this effort. We will be doing a podcast on "I'm a Rotarian" on August 25 to talk about our club's #OneStepCloser campaign

A big thank you to our kick-off donors! Thank you too for your kind and supportive comments. Please spread the word about Rotary's audacious goal of finally eliminating a crippling disease that has been with humanity for thousands of years.

We just got our web page! We are walking more than 30 miles a week to get ready for our walk from Florence to Rome to raise awareness and funds to eradicate polio worldwide. We have been studying Italian for a few months, so we can visit more effectively with the Italians we meet. We plan to reach out to friends and family to support our effort. We love Rotary because of its long term commitment to eradicate polio and its wonderful Youth Exchange Program.

Mike Mauser from the Rotary Club for Global Action continues training near his home in Elko, NV, USA. #OneStepCloser #EndPolioNow