ROTARY CLUB OF ORILLIA
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Rotary members in Orillia are taking action on World Polio Day to raise awareness, funds, and support to end polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today.
The Rotary Club of Orillia will be collecting liquor and beer empties on Oct. 23, 2021 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Northern Business Equipment, 35 United Drive, Orillia. Please bring your empty bottles or donations by.
When Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative more than three decades ago, polio paralyzed 1,000 children every day. We've made great progress against the disease since then. Polio cases have dropped by 99.9 percent, from 350,000 cases in 1988 in 125 countries to 33 cases of wild poliovirus in 2018 in just two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. And we remain committed to the end.
With polio nearly eradicated, Rotary and its partners must sustain this progress and continue to reach every child with the polio vaccine. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk.
Rotary has committed to raising US$50 million each year to support global polio eradication efforts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total yearly contribution of $150 million.
"Even with COVID-19 Rotary has been still working to eradicate polio and there have only been two reported cases of the wild strain," said Steve Vickers, Foundation Chair, Rotary Club of Orillia. "We would love to finally eradicate this terrible disease."
Rotary has contributed more than $1.9 billion to ending polio since 1985, including $35,000 donated by the Rotary Club of Orillia.
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