The Eradication of Polio

“PolioPlus” is Rotary’s only corporate program, and Rotary believes the Family of Rotary will want to be involved in sharing the legacy of eradicating polio that has caused so much disability and death worldwide.

Rotary International has made it a number-one priority when it began the PolioPlus Program in 1985 as the first and largest internationally-coordinated private sector support of a public health campaign. The program’s goal was to have a polio free world by the year 2000, a goal set in 1988. This did not happen! As a result of the efforts of Rotary International and its global partners over 2 billion children have received oral polio vaccine.

Rotary has received a $100 Million Challenge from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as well as a $3.5 Million Challenge from the Google Foundation. There are others who have and will join in our fight to stamp out this crippling disease.

Each and every Rotary Club is being asked to contribute at least $1,000 annually for the next three years. With the nearly 33,000 clubs around the world this should result in almost a full match of $100 million. These efforts will be a vital catalyst in support of polio eradication, however, more will be needed to finish the job. Rotary, along with its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others will continue the fight until the job is done.

What is Boulder City Sunrise Rotary’s part? Sunrise Rotary’s vision for the 2008-2009 year will be to buy into this three year project. First with making our own club aware of polio and the PolioPlus project. Second, a community awareness program and then with fundraising efforts in our immediate club, our family of Rotary and in our community.

Click here for more information about Rotary’s fight to End Polio Now.

(Information has been taken from Rotary Internationals website and other Rotary informational sources.)