A #PassitOn News Update!

It’s been nearly two weeks since Save the Children’s Pass it On campaign launched and, blow me down with an industrial-strength rotary fan, you lot have been AMAZING!

Via tweets alone using the #passiton hashtag, the campaign is calculated to have had a reach of (updated!) five and half million people already, and we’re only just getting started.

For those of you yet to hear about it, on Monday Save the Children are flying three bloggers out to Mozambique. There they will follow the journey of a life-saving vaccine from cold-storage all the way to the front line, to learn what a profound difference it can make to children in a developing country, and how vital it is that world leaders pledge to increase funding for vaccinations when they meet in the UK in June – a four hour meeting during which they hold the power to make a decision that could save millions of children’s lives.

While Chris (@christinemosler), Tracey (@tchee) and Lindsey @Liliesarelike) have been busy preparing and packing for their trip, the blogging community have been busy spreading the word via memes and blog posts, encouraging their readers to sign the already 23, 000 voices-strong petition to send a clear message to those in power that their action is important to us. Everybody’s creativity, commitment and passion has been so exciting to watch and is really driving the whole thing. THANK YOU all so much – you are already making a huge difference.

So, what’s been happening so far…?

A couple of weeks ago Maggie from Red Ted Art, and I, launched a new crafty meme to get bloggers and their kids involved in talking and sharing about the vaccine issue in developing countries, with children drawing pictures to celebrate the future that many denied vaccines don’t get the chance to live. If you haven’t had a chance to look at some of the entries yet, please, please do – they have all been so unique and inspiring.

The response has been amazing, with nearly 70 entries already and contributions tricking in from all over the globe thanks to international bloggers helping to spread the message. Especial thanks to Spudballoo and MissieLizzie for getting the ball rolling so quickly, and to Julia at The Head’s Office for taking the idea into the classrooms for setting a great new 100 word writing challenge for children too.

You still have til Sunday night (29th May) to get your entries in so we’d love if you could make some time this weekend if you haven’t had chance to take part yet. We’ve had some fantastic bumper art set prizes confirmed from IKEA for five lucky entrants and you don’t need to wait to be tagged, either, just have a read and start a whole new chain of entries! A huge thank you to Maggie for her tireless encouragement and support of the idea and her promotion of everybody’s creative efforts. You are such a star Maggie, thank you.

As well as the craft meme, people have been coming up with new ideas to help get people involved too. We’ve loved Paula at Battling On’s Gift Tag idea – just go to her blog for a PDF printable gift-tag to fill in and blog about, pass on and share as a really easy way to get people to sign and  spread news of the petition.

And, if you’re about tonight and on Twitter, the fabulous @FridayTwiz are running a special edition of their weekly quiz night in support of #passiton, too.

What can you do next?

Let’s keep the pressure on. Keep blogging, follow the #passiton hashtag and @christinemosler, @tchee, @liliesarelike and @SaveChildrenUK to follow the action and retweet and share important updates of the trip, the campaign and your fellow bloggers’ contributions.

Save the Children have created a great new Facebook Page to act as a hub of information and news, and from next week will start sharing the story of our three bloggers live from Mozambique so check in often to keep updated and show your support.

And don’t forget to follow @MrVaccine himself! Backed by his faithful wife @MrsVaccine, he’s the dosage with the most-est (groan, sorry) who will be sharing the story as he’s shipped from a vaccine factory and faced with the challenge of keeping cool on his time-sensitive journey until he can be administered by a rural health worker in Africa.

And last but not least… SIGN THE PETITION!

Just click here to add your name, or text JAB to 84118 then tell your friends that you’ve done so and why these four hours are so important:

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