December 11, 2009
Flu-Free Quad Cities Exceeds Fund-Raising Goal
The need for donations continues to meet higher demand
Over the past two months, thousands of Quad Cities-area school children have lifted their sleeves for seasonal flu shots while an outpouring of donations have come in for the Genesis Flu-Free Quad Cities effort.
As of Thursday, a total $249,602 had been raised. Even though the $225,000 fund-raising goal has been surpassed, donations are still being welcomed to meet the demand for free flu shots for the region's schoolchildren.
This fall, the program expanded to reach as many children as possible in 79 schools in Clinton County, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley, North Scott, Davenport, Quad Cities non-public schools, Rock Island and Moline. An additional 3,000 doses of the vaccine had to be ordered when the original estimate of 8,000 students receiving the vaccine increased to 11,000 students.
"We had estimated that about 30 percent of schoolchildren would participate, but the demand has been more than we anticipated. In some schools, more than 40 percent of students were vaccinated," said Missy Gowey, Executive Director of the Genesis Foundations. "All the news about the H1N1 pandemic has made parents more aware of the importance of a seasonal flu shot, as well."
Gowey added, "Every dollar above the goal helps us meet the needs of additional requests for free flu shots. We won't be finished raising funds for the participating schools until every parent requesting the free vaccination for their child has been served."
Over the top
Mel Foster Co.'s first annual Putt-Putt golf charity event is credited with pushing the $225,000 fund-raising goal over the top. The mid-November event raised $10,000 for Genesis Flu-Free Quad Cities and attracted 180 golfers to Stoney Creek Inn in Moline.
"We could not have done this without the support of our sponsors and participants," said Kris Ratigan, Marketing Director at Mel Foster Co. "It shows that there are many businesses and individuals who care about helping in the efforts to prevent the wide spread of influenza within our family, our business and our community."
That good news, coupled with donations from last month's Trans Siberian Orchestra concert, gave a big boost to Flu-Free Quad Cities. A $1 donation to Flu-Free Quad Cities for every concert ticket sold raised $8,072. An additional $5,000 grant was received from the Moline Foundation for children in Rock Island County.
"Even in difficult times, we still have a very generous community," Gowey said. "What has been most inspiring is that we've received a wide range of donations - from $12 to cover one child to $10,000 raised from an event to $25,000 from the Scott County Regional Authority. The Clinton County Visiting Nursing Foundation gave $25,000 to fund flu shots for Clinton-area students. We've had everything from Rotary groups passing the hat at lunchtime to a $440 donation of on-field behavior fines from the Quad City River Bandits.
"Flu-Free Quad Cities was a project that donors in the region really embraced, particularly because for every 1 child vaccinated, 5 others around them are protected from getting seasonal influenza."
Sally Worden, development officer for the Genesis Health Services Foundation, has been heartened to see groups like churches and service organizations motivating and challenging others to donate.
"For example, the First Presbyterian Church in LeClaire donated $1,000 to the Flu-Free effort, hoping to inspire others in their small community to fund flu shots for school children in their area," she said.
Vaccine arrives
This fall, the effort has been hampered by nationwide shipping delays from manufacturers of the vaccine. That forced some clinics to be postponed and then later re-scheduled once the vaccine came in. All the needed vaccine has been secured, however.
"We're happy to report we've received all the allotted vaccine," says Dee Tipton, R.N., Flu-Free Quad Cities Project Coordinator for Genesis VNA. "Vaccinations in Davenport schools were completed Monday, and we began vaccinations in the Illinois Quad Cities this week. The goal is to have all the vaccinations in the schools completed by Dec. 20."
Last week, Genesis VNA nurses held a vaccination clinic at Garfield School, where Davenport restaurateur and the school's business partner Terry Lunardi made a donation to ensure that 222 kids on reduced-or-free lunches at the school would have the opportunity to be immunized. After his unexpected death Aug. 4, the Flu-Free Quad Cities initiative became one of three charities listed as memorials, and the Riverboat Development Authority gave $3,000 in support of the cause in Lunardi's honor.
"With last week's vaccination clinic at Garfield School, our fund-raising has come full circle," Gowey said. "I think Terry would have been proud of our community's effort."
For more information on how you can help create a Flu-Free Quad Cities, call the Genesis Health Services Foundation at (563) 421-6865 or go to www.genesishealth.com/give.
