The Rotary Club of Perry County Raised $1,586.25 to Support the Eradication of Polio With the First Annual ”Pints for Polio” Fund Raiser
The Rotary Club of Perry County is pleased to announce that its first Annual “Pints for Polio” fund raiser raised $1,586.25 for Rotary International’s Polio Plus fund. The October 24 event was held at River Bend Hop Farm and Brewery, Newport, and was also supported by Artisan Pizza (River Bend and Artisan each donated a percentage of the evening’s sales) as well as the 65 adult attendees who also paid a $5 cover and other supporters who made donations.
“Pints for Polio” was a regional event, with the following Rotary Clubs participating: Carlisle, Carlisle Sunrise, Elizabethtown, Hershey, Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg North, Millersburg, Northern Lebanon, Perry County, York
Rotary International’s Global Polio Eradication Initiative was formed in 1988, a public-private partnership with Rotary, the World Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and governments of the world. Today, there are only three countries in the world where polio still exists: Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. In 2016, there were only 37 cases of polio confirmed worldwide, which is a reduction of 99.9 percent since the 1980s, when there were about 1,000 cases each day.
Polio is a paralyzing and potentially fatal disease that invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis within hours. It can strike at any age but mostly affects children age 5 and younger. It is incurable, but it is 100-percent preventable by vaccine.
The Rotary Club of Perry County, a social service organization whose motto is “Service Above Self,” meets each Tuesday at 11:45 at the Newport American Legion Post #177. In addition to eradicating polio, the Rotary Club of Perry County works to improve literacy, provide clean water, and develop character and leadership in young people. The Rotary Club of Perry County’s next fund raiser – “Beat the Rush” – will take place on Friday, December 15, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Landis House, 67 North 4th Street, Newport. Modeled on the Perry County Fair’s Annual Chili Cookoff, “Beat the Rush” features Rotarians presenting their best holiday appetizers, desserts, and cocktails, which can be sampled and voted on for a quarter per taste or vote. The $20 ticket also includes: beer, wine, soft drinks, door prizes, silent auction items, a 50-50 raffle, and a live auction. Attendance is limited to 70 guests, age 21 and above, and tickets must be secured in advance.
For more information about “Pints for Polio,” Beat the Rush, or the Rotary Club of Perry County, PA, please call club president Jairee Counterman at 717.839.1434, email her at jaireec@aol.com, or contact any club member.