One Day. One Focus: All donations to "End Polio Now" are matched 2:1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, tripling your impact!
World Polio Day is a time for Rotary members, public health advocates, and all who want a world free from polio to come together, recognize our progress in the fight to end polio, and talk about the actions we need to take in order to end polio for good.
Suzanne Tyrrell announced that we need to keep polio eradication in mind. She remembered in the 1950s when the outbreak of polio crippled the world - children were not allowed to go to swimming pools, were keep home from school - it was much like our recent pandemic due to COVID-19.She also recalled the relief that many felt with the announcement that Jonas Salk had developed the Polio Vaccine.
Polio can be eradicated. Today there are only two countries with cases of polio - Pakistan and Afghanistan. She reminded us all of Rotary's pledge to rid the world of Rotary and, unless it is eradicated everywhere, it is possible to break out anywhere. It is just a plane ride away.
After viewing a video about Rotary's efforts to eradicate polio, other members shared:
- Brad Carter recalled the "Trick-or-Treat" for Unicef campaign that was focused on collecting for polio eradication.
- Tom Hyde shared that he has traveled to India to participate in National Immunization Days - experiencing the need to deliver the polio vaccine to children.
- Suni Kasibhatla said that her first exposure to Rotary was when volunteers were going door-to-door in India to deliver the vaccines; she recalled how her mother would help educate neighbors on the importance of getting their children vaccinated
Lincoln South Rotary Club supports Polio Plus with our weekly donations to Happy Dollars. Members can also donate online at any time.
We also thank the members who have:
- - set up Rotary Direct to donate monthly to Polio Plus as a deduction from checking/credit card
- - Polio Plus Society Members pledging to donate $100 per year to Polio Plus