Please submit your Tack notes to Brian Dallaire at bdallaire@usa.net and with copy to Julie Villemaire at Jvillemaire@maine.rr.com, no later than the Tuesday AM before the next meeting.
Our club is having a Dine to Donate fundraiser at Texas Roadhouse in Scarborough on October 24th from 5 to 8 pm. We’ll receive 15% of your dine-in, To Go, and gift card purchases when you join us on Thursday, 10/24 between 5 pm and 8 pm. It’s easy, just print the attached flyer and bring it with you to show your server or simply show your server the flyer on your phone. Texas Roadhouse is donating $50 to our club plus the 15% mentioned above and they are giving us a $30 gift card to raffle that night.
We’ll have a table set up in the front of the restaurant so we can answer questions about ‘what is Rotary’ and have our raffle. Our new banners will be perfect there. Fausto will be at the information table from 5 to 6 pm and we’d like someone to join him, we need two volunteers from 6 to 7 pm, and Roland and I will be at the table from 7 to 8 pm. Please respond to this email if you’re able to help with the information table. Thank you!
Please invite your family and friends to Texas Roadhouse next Thursday evening to help our club raise money for our charitable giving. Make sure they bring the flyer!
It’s a win-win! Great food and fellowship with friends plus a chance to help us raise money for the Biddeford Saco community. Thank you.
Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a paralyzing and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in some parts of the world. Poliovirus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in hours. It can strike people of any age but mainly affects children under five. Polio can be prevented by vaccines, but it is not curable. Unlike most diseases, polio can be eradicated.
PolioPlus
For more than 30 years, Rotary and our partners have driven the effort to eradicate polio worldwide. Our PolioPlus program was the first initiative to tackle global polio eradication by vaccinating children on a massive scale. As a core partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary focuses on advocacy, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and awareness-building.
Rotary members have contributed $1.9 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $8 billion to the effort.
Polio Today
With our partners, we have reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent, from 350,000 cases in 125 countries in 1988 to just 33 cases caused by the wild virus in 2018. Only two countries continue to report cases of wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. The infrastructure we helped build to end polio is also being used to treat and prevent other diseases and create lasting impact in other areas of public health.
Challenges
Rotary and our partners have made tremendous progress against polio, but eliminating all cases is going to take even more progress and perseverance. Afghanistan and Pakistan face unique challenges, including political insecurity, highly mobile populations, difficult terrain, and, in some instances, logistical barriers. With sufficient resources, the commitment of national governments, and innovations that improve access to remote areas, we are optimistic that we can eliminate polio.
Ensuring Success
Rotary has committed to raising $50 million per year for polio eradication. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total commitment of $150 million each year. These funds provide much-needed operational support, medical workers, laboratory equipment, and educational materials. Governments, corporations, and private donors all play a crucial role in funding.
Rotary in Action
More than 1 million Rotary members have donated their time and money to eradicate polio, and every year, hundreds of member’s work with health workers to vaccinate children in countries affected by polio. Rotary members work with UNICEF and other partners to prepare and distribute informational materials for people in areas that are isolated by conflict, geography, or poverty. They also mobilize to recruit fellow volunteers, assist in transporting the vaccine, and provide other logistical support.
Celebrity Support
Rotary has a growing list of public figures and celebrities who support our fight against polio, including Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; actresses Kristen Bell and Archie Panjabi; actor and wrestling superstar John Cena; supermodel Isabeli Fontana; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; action-movie star Jackie Chan; actor Donald Sutherland; boxing great Manny Pacquiao; pop star Psy; golf legend Jack Nicklaus; conservationist Jane Goodall; premier violinist Itzhak Perlman; Grammy Award winners A.R. Rahman, Angélique Kidjo, and Ziggy Marley; and peace advocate Queen Noor of Jordan. These ambassadors help Rotary educate the public about the disease and the fight to end polio for good.
How would you like to have not only your own Rotary Club members contact information but also the entire District at your fingertips? You can and so much more by downloading the new and improved ClubRunner Mobile App. You can also access club and district leadership, stories and events all with just a few clicks. Connecting to them is as easy as clicking on the phone number or email address.You can download it on the AppStore or GooglePlay and be on your way in minutes. Now would also be a good time to make sure that your profile is current, and if you do not have a picture saved, or your birthday listed, considering updating your information now! Reach out and collaborate with other like minded Rotarians from around our district and be the People of Action that your are!
Our Club is in first place of 10 Rotary Clubs who participate in this program!
Total Raised: $2,574.00
Containers CLYNKed: 46,836
Environmental Impact:
Energy: Saved enough energy to light 64.3 lightbulbs—24 hours a day—for a year.
Emissions: Saved the emissions equivalent of driving a car 12,166 miles.
Volume: Diverted enough containers to fill 468.0 lobster traps.
Fill up those green bags. If you need more bags and/or labels, just let Julie Villemaire know and she can hook you up…no charge!
Simple fill with returnables and drop off at any Hannaford.
Alternately, if you already have a CLYNK account of your own, you can designate you funds as a donation. Hit the Donate button and search for Rotary and you'll find our account.