Rotarians gearing up for World Polio Day

 

 

Rotarians in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, are once again organizing a World Polio Day walk and rally to promote support for the campaign to wipe out the disease. Photo courtesy of Chris Offer

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Rotarians are getting ready to launch events linked to World Polio Day, 24 October, in support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. 

Led by RI President Sakuji Tanaka, International PolioPlus Committee Chair Robert Scott, and Rotary Foundation Trustee Stephanie Urchick, delegates to the Rotary institute for zones 24-32 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, will take part in a downtown walk and rally on 19 October. One hundred of the participants will carry signs bearing the End Polio Now message. 

In District 1090 (England), District Governor Judith Diment plans a World Polio Day drive-athon, in which she will travel to each of the district’s 62 clubs. “Rotarians will be giving out the new district Rotary newspaper, which leads with a polio story, as well collecting funds and briefing the local media,” says Diment, who is the PolioPlus National Advocacy Adviser for the United Kingdom. “On 28 October, we are having a Rotary Polio Day at a rugby match, where we will give out newspapers and collect money for polio.” 

Rotarians in Pakistan are publishing a four-page supplement in The News, the leading English-language daily newspaper, which is circulated nationwide. “This will help us create awareness and also project the role of Rotary in polio eradication,” says Aziz Memon, chair of the Pakistan PolioPlus Committee. 

Here are ways you can support the global effort to eradicate polio: 

• Take part in a social media campaign to increase Rotary’s voice on World Polio Day by signing on to send a mass message through Twitter and Facebook.
• Lend your voice to advocacy efforts by signing the petition on endpolionow.org.
• Be part of the “World’s Biggest Commercial”  online on World Polio Day. View the promotional video.
• Purchase End Polio Now, an album of songs performed by Rotary polio ambassadors, to be released on World Polio Day. The album will be available as a digital download through iTunes and as a CD from shop.rotary.org.
• Begin planning an End Polio Now lighting to celebrate Rotary's anniversary on 23 February.
• Contribute now to end polio.