Lima Rotary Club celebrated World Polio Day with a mayoral proclamation, pledging to help eradicate the disease and learning about how Rotary is contributing to the global eradication effort.
Mayor David Berger shared a proclamation naming Monday World Polio Day in Lima. On Monday, the representing flag flew in the square.
Paul Swartz shared many new developments in Rotary’s efforts, including that to date this year, the world has seen only five cases of Polio, only in Afghanistan and Pakistan (down from 350,000 in 1988). Rotary began its Polio vaccine campaign in 1985, and since then cases have dropped 99.9 percent and 2.5 billion children have been vaccinated.
Dr. Susan Hubbell shared information about why Polio is so debilitating, and how she continues to treat patients who contracted Polio as children in the 1950s and 1960s. Hubbell has done extensive research on Post-Polio Syndrome, what happens to a body with weakened muscles after Polio.
Rotary, several global health organizations, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are partnering to truly end Polio. The Gates Foundation is matching every Rotary donation two to 1, so for every Rotary dollar donated, the Gates Foundation will give two. What that means, Swartz said, if that every Rotarian giving $25, means $75 goes toward vaccinating. At 12 cents a vaccination, that’s 625 children who will be vaccinated.
To help kick off the pledges, past president Dave Frost said if the club members’ pledges exceeded last year’s $2,430, he would donate $250, and if President Tracie Sanchez and Swartz, president-elect, each gave $250, he would give another $250. By that afternoon, the three had donated $1,000 and the club had raised more than $4,000.
The effort is the largest global health initiative in history.
In other Rotary business:
Adah Ellerbrock turned in her red badge for a blue badge.
Bath Interact Club officers visited the meeting and spoke about some of the things they have done and will be doing. Interact recently held a “Yes Fest,” during which students could say yes to many community activities and programs. The club will be doing a spirit wear fundraiser and has lots of other activities planned for the school year, as more than 100 students have now joined Interact.
