Pioneering Gift From the Sumner M. Redstone Foundation Leads to $118 Million Multi-Country Commitment to End Polio

PERTH, Australia, Nov. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The End of Polio Concert, funded by the Sumner M. Redstone Foundation and held on 28th October 2011, in Perth Australia, has resulted in an unprecedented outpouring of support for global polio eradication efforts.

The highly publicized and critically acclaimed concert, which called on World Leaders to fully fund the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, has resulted in contributions of $50 million from Australia, $15 million from Canada, and $13 million from Nigeria. In addition, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in support of the Commonwealth commitments, pledged an additional $40 million. The $118 million in new pledges is a significant step towards bridging the GPEI's $535 million funding shortfall and will be used to purchase vaccines, monitor outbreak and respond when and where needed.

The additional funding comes after sustained campaigning by the Global Poverty Project, the organization behind The End of Polio Concert. Headlined by international super star and nine-time Grammy Award winner John Legend and supported by the best of Australian musical talent, the crowd of 4,500 raised their voices in support of polio eradication. Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, who was greeted with a rousing reception, also took to the stage to demonstrate his support for a polio free world.

Hugh Evans, CEO of the Global Poverty Project, said: "The End of Polio Concert was a pivotal moment in the worldwide effort to create a world without polio. The early support of Mr. Redstone not only led the way to making the concert a reality, but also was critical in our ability to secure the additional funding. He believed in our mission from the start and his gift of $1.5 million, which we announced in August, provided the resources necessary to make the event happen."

Mr. Redstone, Executive Chairman of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corporation, said: "I am proud to support the work of the Global Poverty Project and its campaign to end polio. The amazing results achieved demonstrate that by joining forces and focusing our resources, we can find a path to ending polio and eradicating extreme poverty."

The End of Polio campaign will now turn its attention to building additional support for polio eradication amongst World Leaders and multi-national corporations.

A portion of the Redstone Foundation's contribution will also be put towards the Global Poverty Project's Endowment Fund, furthering the Global Poverty Project's long-term vision of eradicating extreme poverty through campaigns for global health, fair trade and good governance.

About Mr. Sumner Redstone

Over the last several years, Mr. Sumner Redstone has designated more than $100 million in charitable grants to fund initiatives in the U.S. and abroad. He has funded the establishment of the Cambodian Children's Fund child rescue center along with research and patient care advancements in cancer, burn recovery and mental health at several major non-profit healthcare organizations. Many of his major gifts have been focused on encouraging the acceleration of basic research into clinical trials and, ultimately, to individuals and their families.  

In addition to the Global Poverty Project, Mr. Redstone has supported such internationally recognized programs as Autism Speaks, FasterCures/The Center for Accelerating Medical Solutions, based in Washington D.C.; the prostate cancer research of Dr. David Agus at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine; and the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

The End of Polio

The End of Polio campaign focus is on building the public support necessary to realise the end of polio and advocating World Leaders to full fund polio eradication initiatives. Working in conjunction with of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), and in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, Rotary International and the World Health Organisation, the campaign helped to place polio eradication on the agenda at the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

To date the campaign has attracted over 26,000 signatures from supporters in more than 100 countries. The End of Polio Concert, held in Perth during October 2011, brought together 4,500 supporters, local and international artists, polio survivors, politicians and key partner organisation – all calling for Commonwealth governments to make commitments towards the fight to eradicate polio.

theendofpolio.com

Global Poverty Project

The Global Poverty Project is an international education and advocacy organization working to catalyze the movement to end extreme poverty. An Australian grown project, we exist to increase the number and effectiveness of people taking action to end extreme poverty, with the vision of a world without extreme poverty, within a generation. The Project focuses on communicating development issues and enabling action in the general public.

We use our world-class multimedia presentation 1.4 Billion Reasons to raise awareness of our opportunity to end extreme poverty within a generation, and the simple every day actions that people can take to contribute to the end of extreme poverty. Our simple, yet effective education tools and advocacy campaigns are used in workplaces, schools, universities, churches and communities around the country to inspire and empower Australians to become leaders in the global movement to end extreme poverty.

globalpovertyproject.com

Global Polio Eradication Initiative

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative was set up in 1988. It is a public-private partnership led by national governments and spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Its goal is to eradicate polio worldwide.

polioeradication.org

SOURCE Sumner M. Redstone Foundation