Purple People Power
In place of our regular Wednesday meeting at the Wayside Restaurant, the club gathered today on the steps of St. Thomas City Hall, in recognition of World Polio Day.
In the picture at left, we see Club President Trish Shouldice “pinning” Mayor Heather Jackson with a purple crocus, symbol of the worldwide drive to eradicate polio. The colour purple is significant, because children have their left pinkie painted purple to indicate that they have received the vaccine.
After the Rotary flag was raised, past-president Malcolm Rust (pictured above) presented the following facts:
- Polio is a virus that spreads very easily and attacks a child’s nervous system, can paralyze them for life, and in rare cases cause death.
- There is no cure, but it can easily be prevented through immunization: 2.5 billion children have been immunized against polio globally.
- Canada has been polio free for 20 years
- The virus has caused fewer new cases of the disease so far this year than this time last year: 12 reported cases, versus 26 last year, all in the Afghanistan/Pakistan border area.
- Nigeria has had no new cases since August 2016.
- World Polio Day was established by Rotary International over a decade ago to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis
- We are very close to making polio the second disease to be totally eradicated (Smallpox was first in 1980)
- Let’s pull together and make this a reality: please visit www.rotary.org and donate
The morning concluded with an informal luncheon at Legends.
Next week (November 1), District Governor Martin Ward will make his official visit to the Club, and on November 8, Kathy Knott from Therapeutic Paws will speak to the Club. There is no meeting on November 15. On November 22, Service-Above-Self Awards will be presented at our regular meeting, and the Foundation AGM is scheduled for November 29.
A District Foundation Training Seminar takes place Saturday, November 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the BMO Centre in London. Each club must send at least two people to this seminar in order to be able to access District grants. President Trish and Gerry Janssen will be attending, but it would benefit the club if one more person could go as well. Please contact President Trish if you would like to go.
Mark Your Calendars Saturday, October 28, 11:30 a.m.: Dedication of the New War Memorial Garden on Moore Street, by Ontario Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell. November 10, 11, and 12: Annual Christmas Tour of Homes. Please contact MelodyMcKinnon to volunteer. melody.mckinnon@gmail.com Music Festival Donations The Rotary Music Festival enjoys the financial support of many individuals andcommunity organizations, or through bequests. However, as we are facing increasedcosts to operate this important event, newscholarship donations will be gratefullyaccepted. Please contact the St. Thomas Rotary Music Festival Scholarship Committee, PO Box 20042, RPO Edward, St. Thomas, ON, N5P 0B5. stthomasrotarymusicfest@gmail.com |
ASAA | Greeter | Fine Master | |
Wednesday, November 1 | Stew Shouldice | Bill Horn | Trudy Kanellis |
Wednesday, November 8 | Ron Somerville | Ed Willson | Malcolm Rust |
Wednesday, November 15 | No Meeting | ||
Photos: Trudy Kanellis, Gerry Janssen
GTJ