Amanda Peet Encourages Teens to Help the Red Cross Vaccinate a Village

The actress visited a New York school Monday to thank a group of students for helping to vaccinate two villages against measles

[Editor's Note: Photographs and B-roll footage of Amanda Peet's school visit are available for download at http://www.flickr.com/photos/30084374@N02/ and www.redcross.org/video .]

NEW YORK, May 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The star of "Gulliver's Travels" and "2012" joined the American Red Cross on Monday, May 9, 2011 in surprising a group of 500 students at Nest+m school in New York City. A special "pep rally" led by Amanda Peet celebrated the students' work toward vaccinating villages of children against one of the most contagious and deadly diseases -- measles.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090108/RedCrossLOGO)

As a champion for childhood immunization, Peet volunteered her time to thank the students and inspire others across the country.

"As a mom, I feel privileged to support the American Red Cross in its efforts to vaccinate millions of children around the world through the Measles Initiative, a partnership committed to reducing measles deaths globally," Peet said. "I commend young people throughout the U.S. for joining the cause and helping tackle this global health problem in developing countries, where measles remains a leading cause of death, despite the availability of a safe, effective and inexpensive vaccine."

Every day, 450 children overseas still die from measles, a disease most Americans have all but forgotten. Thousands of youth, however, are working to change this fate and forming teams made of friends, family and classmates to help raise enough money to vaccinate villages in developing countries through the Measles Initiative. Throughout the month, the Nest+m school will host a series of competitions and other activities to help students raise enough money to vaccinate their third village. For purposes of this campaign, a village is represented by 500 children.  

"This is just one example of how young people are making a difference," Peet said. "The desire from New York teens to help save children and protect entire villages half a world a way is also evident in San Diego, Chicago and Houston. This is a generous generation, willing to take the change out of their pocket and change a child's future."

During the rally, Peet named the school's Red Cross club "Measles Initiative Advocates of the Month" for their dedication to the cause year round. While at Nest+m, she also took time to read "It Couldn't Be the Measles" -- a rhyming story about a spotted elephant by Brian D. Hahn -- to a Kindergarten class. She listened to how the younger students celebrated Mother's Day, listed ways moms show love for their children, including ensuring they are well vaccinated, and explained the health challenges families in Africa and Asia face every day.

Before the American Red Cross and its partners formed the Measles Initiative in 2001, more than 750,000 children worldwide died from measles each year. While the global health partnership has made significant progress in the last decade, measles still kills an estimated 164,000 people annually. For less than $1, a child can be vaccinated and the Measles Initiative can continue to drive that number down.

With help from their classmates, teens can easily vaccinate an entire village and put an end to this fight. Text PREVENT to 90999 to give $10 to the American Red Cross. This simple gesture will protect 10 children for a lifetime. Visit measlesinitiative.org to learn more, including how a school or youth group can start a club or project.

About Amanda Peet:

Actress Amanda Peet gained recognition as the leading lady in the smash hit comedy "The Whole Nine Yards" with Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry. She was also named one of People's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" the same year. Peet showcases her talents in feature films "Something's Gotta Give", "A Lot Like Love", "Syriana", the disaster film "2012" and "Gulliver's Travels." Her passion to serve is demonstrated in her support for non-profits and advocacy for childhood vaccination. She joined the American Red Cross in 2009, volunteering for its Celebrity Cabinet to raise awareness for the Measles Initiative.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization -- not a government agency -- and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

About the Measles Initiative:

Launched in 2001, the Measles 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 for mass vaccination campaigns and disease surveillance around the world. The Initiative has supported the vaccination of more than 700 million children helping to reduce measles deaths by 78 percent globally (compared to 2000). To learn more, visit www.measlesinitiative.org.

SOURCE American Red Cross