Rotary projects around the globe
October 2025
Rotary members and their partners in service come together each World Polio Day on 24 October to recognize progress in the fight to end the disease. Here is a sample of the ways members are taking action to make history and eradicate polio.
United States
In support of polio eradication, Ralph Zuke has raised more than $57 million by pedaling his rickshaw bicycle from his Missouri home to recent Rotary International Conventions in North America: Toronto in 2018, Houston in 2022, and Calgary this year, a journey in which he braved hail, sleet, and snow, and even skirted a tornado. His next opportunity will be at the 2028 convention in Minneapolis. “If it’s needed,” Zuke adds, optimistically. “I hope we’ll be done with polio by then.” As governor of District 6060, Zuke rolls out the rickshaw for parades and on his rounds to clubs. “It allows me to tell my passengers about polio, Rotary, and what Rotary has done for polio. It’s a captive audience for a couple minutes. That’s all they need,” says Zuke. “If they donate, that’s great. If they don’t, that’s fine too, but at least they know the story of what Rotary’s done with polio.”
Canada
The annual Pub N Paint event by the Rotary Club of Edmonton Whyte Avenue raises money each November to fight polio. The Alberta club’s regular meeting venue, the Rooster Kitchen, hosts the event. “I do a little spiel about the state of polio and Rotary’s role in eradication,” says Stan Bissell, a past president of the club who inaugurated the project. It’s not unusual for visitors to remark how little they know about polio, he says. “We talk about it so much in Rotary, but people don’t know and think it’s a disease of the past.” After his presentation, an art teacher distributes blank canvases and brushes, guiding Rotarians and guests in replicating landscapes such as Edmonton’s cityscape and a mountain range. “There are some very talented people” among the club’s members, reports Bissell. “But it’s variable — mine is in the garage.”
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10000.00+
Miles logged by Ralph Zuke for End Polio Now
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CA$1.00 billion+
Total contributed by the Canadian government toward polio eradication
Italy
There may be no better way to spotlight (literally!) polio awareness than through the can’t-miss illuminations of global landmarks. Those monuments have included the Sydney Opera House, London’s Houses of Parliament, Rome’s Colosseum, the Egyptian pyramids, Scottish castles, and more. For World Polio Day 2024, the Rotary and Rotaract clubs in the Pisa area teamed up with community leaders to turn the floodlights on the Leaning Tower of Pisa. “This is a commitment that we wanted to share together precisely to reach a wider audience,” the club presidents noted in a statement. They’ve showcased historic buildings for about 25 years and the city’s signature tower over the past five. The clubs also had a video about polio eradication shown on monitors at the Pisa Airport.
Ghana
In the port city of Tema, more than 300 Rotarians, Rotaractors, and partners stepped out in October 2024 for a twilight World Polio Day walk. A campaign surrounding the action included a “polio tower” lighted for the occasion, signage, and a sea of End Polio Now T-shirts donned by participants. The Rotary Club of Tema-Community 25 led the effort, which was supported by the Rotary clubs of Tema and Tema Meridian, as well as the Ghana PolioPlus Committee. The involvement of 25 Rotaract and Interact clubs contributed to the sizable turnout, says club member Elizabeth Ahiagba. “Participants distributed educational materials, engaged commuters and residents, and advocated for vigilance, particularly among families with young children,” Ahiagba says.
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2.00002
World Health Organization declares Europe polio-free
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238.00,171
Participants in the world’s largest charity walk, held in 2018 in the Philippines
India
For World Polio Day 2024, more than 1,200 young people hoisted placards as they lined up in formation to spell out “Polio Free Bharat” (India) when viewed from above. Students performed traditional dances and skits during a program at the community sports complex of Dwarka, a neighborhood of New Delhi. The day concluded with a spirited rally. “There was a huge response from the public and youths, including members of Rotaract and Interact clubs,” says Mahesh Trikha, then governor of District 3011. The district has sponsored similar gatherings for about a decade.
This story originally appeared in the October 2025 issue of Rotary magazine.