October is End Polio Month!
As you all know, October 24th is World Polio Day every year and it is approaching fast. End Polio Now is requesting every club plan some End Polio event before or on the 24th. It can be fund raising or simply a publicity/awareness event. Some clubs are hosting seminars, while others are planning fundraisers such as walks, bike rides, food events (now mostly carryout), raffles, t-shirt sales. Once your club plans an event, enter the event in the End Polio website.
The website, endpolio.org, has some great resources for clubs. There are three central themes:
- Learn: get informed and make polio a topic of conversation in your community.
- Share: Most people have heard to polio, but few know it is still affecting children in less developed areas of the world. Your club can help by sharing the facts and the history of the immunization campaign. You might consider finding older community members who were affected or remember the terrible years before the vaccine. Write your local newspaper as an byline or letter to the editor. This site has some great press releases, stories and resources for your use.
- Donate: Every year we get closer to completing this job. Every dollar donated by Rotarians are matched 2:1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Donations can be made directly on the End Polio website by clicking the DONATE button, or through your club treasurer.
We are so close. Let’s get this done!