MEDIA ADVISORY : The Global Advocacy Forum for the Massive Effort Against Diseases of Poverty

Note for the Press 2000

Media Advisory No 10
6 October 2000

MATCH POINT AGAINST POLIO AT SWISSCOM CHALLENGE

WORLD'S # 1 MARTINA HINGIS AND ROTARY INTERNATIONAL TO ANNOUNCE DONATIONS FOR POLIO ERADICATION

WHO: Martina Hingis

WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Polio Eradication

World’s Number One Ranked Women's Tennis Professional

Five-Time Grand Slam Winner

Mario Grassi, Director, Rotary International

Dr Heinrich Walti, Former Governor D-2000 RI, Rotary Club Zurich

A representative of the Polio Eradication Initiative, World Health Organization

WHAT: Both Martina Hingis and the Rotary clubs of Switzerland will be announcing donations toward the eradication of polio. In her role as Goodwill Ambassador for polio eradication, Martina will speak to the media about her activities and accomplishments over the past year.

Following the press conference, Martina will be giving a special tennis clinic to 30 children; each child will represent one of the world's remaining polio-endemic countries. This event is part of Martina’s "Match Point Against Polio" campaign, taking place during the SwissCom Challenge tennis tournament.

WHEN: Monday, 9 October 2000

17:00 – 17:30 Press conference

Starting at 17:30 Autograph session and tennis clinic

WHERE: SwissCom Challenge

1^st floor, Schluefweg Arena

Zürich-Kloten

Further Information: Journalists can contact David Schwab, Octagon, Tel.: (+1 703) 905 3363, Mobile: (+1 703) 980 1983; david.schwab@octagon.com; Beat Ritschard, Octagon, Tel. : (+41 1) 738 9000, beat.ritschard@octagon.com; Vivian Fiore, Rotary International, Tel : +1 847 866 3234, fiorev@rotaryintl.org ; Erich Gerber, Rotary Club Zurich-Limmattal, Tel: +41 1 322 5986, gerberzh@cs.com ; Claudia Drake, WHO in Geneva, Tel.: (+41 22) 791 3832, drakec@who.int ; or Melinda Henry, WHO in Geneva, Tel.: (+ 41 22) 791 2535, henrym@who.int .

Broadcast quality audio clips by Martina Hingis can be downloaded from www.interpartners.org/polio/

Advance B-roll of polio national immunization days in Angola, Ghana, India, Sudan and Somalia is available through Rotary International.

For more information on Rotary International’s PolioPlus program, see www.rotary.org.

For more information on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, see www.polioeradication.org

For more information on the SwissCom Challenge, see www.swisscom-challenge.com