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'Have No Fear': Florida Students Publish Book to Fight Measles
By Jamie Mazzurco, Special to MI.org
Tuesday, June 05, 2007 — At the Plantation Key School in Tavernier, Florida, students in the fifth and sixth grades are the proud authors and illustrators of a new book, called "Have No Fear Walk with Me." The book tells the story of two children in Africa who receive measles vaccinations from a Red Cross volunteer. The book teaches young children about measles, the vaccination process, and the role of the Red Cross in helping to reduce measles in Africa.
Shannon McCormick, a student at the Plantation Key School, reads the book from "Have No Fear Walk with Me".(Photo Credit: Grace Connors/American Red Cross)
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Immediately after the students saw a presentation on the Measles Initiative by Michelle Sutter, a volunteer for the American Red Cross of Greater Miami and The Keys, they knew they wanted to get involved with the program. In addition to the book, the students put together presentations and a short video clip about measles to educate their fellow students about the disease and the Measles Initiative.
“For one dollar, they could save a life,” said Sutter. “This was profound to many of them that for so little they could help so much.”
The Measles Initiative is a partnership committed to reducing measles deaths globally. Launched in 2001, the Initiative—led by the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and World Health Organization—provides support to governments and communities on measles vaccination campaigns around the world. To date, the Initiative has supported the vaccination of more than 372 million children, mostly in Africa.
Students at the book-signing event that raised $1,500 for the Measles Initiative. From left: Shanna Morehouse, Alexys Ramos, Briaunna Purdo, and Michaela Walters. (Photo Credit: Grace Connors/American Red Cross)
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The Monroe Youth Challenge Program, a grassroots youth development organization, published the book through a grant from Florida Learn and Serve, a federally funded grant program that encourages schools to engage youth in service-learning. Each book costs $10 and the proceeds go to benefit the Measles Initiative. On May 14, 2007, the students held a book-signing event at Plantation Key School, raising more than $1,500 for the Initiative.
Through this experience, students are learning about public service in their school, while helping children abroad.
One student, Samantha Jo Wood-Greer said, "I am glad we got to do it because we helped other kids. I hope other schools can do things like we did."
(Note: If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the book, contact Grace Connors at (305) 852-9612 or at connorsg@usa.redcross.org.)
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 worldwide. To date, the Initiative has supported the vaccination of more than 500 million children in 50 countries helping reduce measles deaths by more than 68% globally and 91% in Africa (compared to 2000). To learn more or make a donation, visit www.measlesinitiative.org.
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