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Star Power Supports Red Cross Vaccination Program
Written by
Lesly C. Simmons
, Staff Writer, RedCross.org
Monday, January 23, 2006 — Two of Hollywood’s most powerful figures traveled to Benin last month to show support for the vaccination of more than 1 million children in the small West African country.
Famed actor and director Sidney Poitier and Sherry Lansing, former head of Paramount Pictures, joined a delegation from the American Red Cross to see first hand the impact of the Measles Initiative program, a program led by the American Red Cross to eliminate measles deaths in sub-Saharan Africa and now in Asia.
Esteemed actor Sidney Poitier greets a child at a measles vaccination site in Ouidah, Benin. (Photo credit: Daniel Cima/American Red Cross) |
Lansing, a member of the Red Cross Board of Governors since 2002, invited Poitier to join her in Benin. From 1992 to 2005, Lansing was chair of the Motion Picture Group of Paramount Pictures. She also knew of Poitier’s personal connection to the Red Cross, going back more than 60 years. When he arrived in New York City as a teenager in the 1940s with no money and no home, Poitier got help from a local Red Cross chapter.
“When I was in need of assistance, the Red Cross was the organization that came to my aid,” said Poitier during a press conference in Benin. “I have since that time been a friend and supporter.”
The pair arrived quietly and spent the trip learning about all aspects of the Initiative, and ultimately both were deeply moved by the experience.
“There was such a purity of the children,” said Lansing. “I was just so proud to see them. All the little kids dress up and you realize because of the efforts of the Red Cross, hundreds of thousands of lives are being saved.”
Despite maintaining a low profile during his visit to Benin, Poitier inevitably attracted attention, and graciously signed autographs and took pictures with fans.
In addition to inviting Poitier, Lansing has made it her mission to involve Hollywood in supporting the Red Cross. She created major fundraisers that also provided the Red Cross with visibility in the Hollywood community, including the premieres of “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” in 2003 and “War of the Worlds” in 2004. Lansing also chairs the Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet.
“I’ve really tried to bring the Hollywood community into the Red Cross fold,” said Lansing. “I talked to Sidney about coming with me, because the Red Cross helped him in his youth, and it really made a difference to see the faces of the kids, and the whole program, through his eyes.”
During the trip, Poitier and Lansing saw several vaccination posts in Benin, visited a memorial to slaves taken from the region, and made a visit to see the United States Ambassador to Benin, Wayne Neill. Poitier serves as the Bahamas Ambassador to UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Dr. Mark Grabowsky, senior technical advisor for the Measles Initiative, explains how the measles vaccine is delivered to Sherry Lansing and Sidney Poitier. The pair joined a delegation to view a vaccination campaign in Benin, W. Africa last month. (Photo credit: Daniel Cima/American Red Cross) |
Poitier said his interest in visiting Benin was as much about learning about himself as it was learning about the country and the Measles Initiative.
“I have a curiosity about self,” he said. “I suspect that the more I get to know about Africa, the more I know about myself. I wanted to see this part of the continent, the culture of life and how the people live.”
Poitier called the Measles Initiative “a phenomenal accomplishment.”
“I don’t think I truly would have known about this unbelievable work being done” if I didn’t see it for myself, said Poitier. “It appears that the Red Cross, the CDC, the WHO, and UNICEF are making a huge difference, not only in Benin, but in other parts of the world.”
In all, Benin’s campaign vaccinated more than 1.1 million children from nine months to five years old against measles during its five day campaign.
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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