Rotary Club of Pincher Creek raises $15,000 to fight Polio

Submitted

Nearly 100 Rotarians and guests from around southern Alberta gathered on July 21for a prime rib BBQ hosted by Paul and Anna Eggert.

Paul Eggert headed up the fund-raising initiative, and a combination of support from Club members, corporate and personal donations resulted in collecting just over $15,000 for the Rotary Foundation, specifically aimed at supporting the final stages of the world-wide eradication of polio.

Ridding the world of Polio has been a top Rotary priority for over 30 years

Paul Eggert cooked and carved prime rib,
serving Rotarian Dr. Greg Steed

[brief historic note below; much more information on www.rotary.org]

On 29 September 1979, Rotarians and delegates of the Philippine Ministry of Health looked on as volunteers administered drops of the lifesaving Sabin polio vaccine to children in the Manila barrio of Guadalupe Viejo.
… Rotary's first Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grant project was underway…  committing Rotary International and the government of the Philippines to a joint five-year effort to immunize about six million children against polio.

Paul (right) presents a donation of $15,000 to Rotarian
Bernie Carriere, who is the Rotary Foundation
Coordinator for Zone 24, which covers Rotary Distracts
 and Clubs from Ontario to Alaska.

Incoming Rotary District Governor for
 2013-2014 Pat Killoran with Paul Eggert

The success of this project set the stage for Rotary's top priority to rid the world of polio. As a result of Rotary’s efforts, more than two billion children have received the oral polio vaccine.
Since Rotary launched its PolioPlus campaign in 1985, the number of polio cases worldwide has dropped 99 percent, and the virus remains endemic in only four countries -- Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

This important Rotary initiative has attracted the personal and financial support of many world organizations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill Gates said, “There is a renewed commitment around the world to end the disease, and that the success of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative will energize other public health efforts.”

The systems, research and logistics that have been developed in Polio eradication can also be applied to other epidemic diseases. Bill Gates goes on to say, "We need this type of success to work on malaria, respiratory and diarrheal diseases, and meningitis," he said.  "The delivery structure, the message, and the quality that comes from polio [eradication] will be the foundation for other work."