The five Rotary Clubs of Dixon, Rock Falls, Sterling Noon, Twin Cities Sunrise, and Walnut made historic progress on October 12 when they sponsored an End Polio Now Walk at Centennial Park in Rock Falls. This event held in observance of World Polio Day was among thousands to be held by Rotary Clubs around the world.
These Rotary Club members took action to raise awareness, funds, and support to end polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today. When Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative more than three decades ago, polio paralyzed 1,000 children every day. We’ve made great progress against the disease since then. Polio cases have dropped by 99.9 percent, from 350,000 cases in 1988 in 125 countries to 33 cases of wild poliovirus in 2019 in just two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. By the end of 2019 if Nigeria will have recorded no cases of wild poliovirus, all of Africa will be considered polio eradicated, as there will have been no new cases within a three year span. That will be a milestone.. And Rotary remains committed to the end.
With polio nearly eradicated, Rotary and its partners must sustain this progress and continue to reach every child with the polio vaccine. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk. Rotary has committed to raising US$50 million each year to support global polio eradication efforts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total yearly contribution of $150 million. As a result of the donations of each of the five Rotary Clubs sponsoring this Fourth Annual End Polio Now Walk, a total of $2,638.84 was donated by local Rotarians, which will become a total of $ 7,916.52 , in this fight to eradicate polio from our world.
Over 40 participants of Rotarians, family members and friends of Dixon, Rock Falls, Sterling Noon, Twin Cities Sunrise, and Walnut Rotary Clubs gathered on October 12 at Centennial Park in Rock Falls to create an awareness of the need to End Polio Now with a walk along the Hennepin Canal. All local donations were matched 2:1 by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Each participant is gesturing “we are this close to eradicating polio from our world!”
The five Rotary Club Presidents – Jennifer Heintzelman of Dixon Rotary, David Chavira of Rock Falls Rotary, John Gvozdjak of Sterling Noon Rotary, Allen Przysucha of Twin Cities Sunrise Rotary, and David Poust of Walnut Rotary - all agree that eradication of this disease which is a goal of Rotary International Foundation is possible within our lifetime.
Rotary has contributed more than $1.9 billion to ending polio since 1985. Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who unite and take action to create lasting change in communities around the globe. For more than 110 years, Rotary’s people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to improve lives through service. From promoting literacy and peace to providing clean water and improving health care, Rotary members are always working to better the world. Visit endpolio.org to learn more about Rotary and the fight to eradicate polio.
