World Polio Day

Ludlow Rotary is marking progress toward a polio-free world while helping to end the paralyzing disease
 
Drop 65, End Polio is among many to be held by Rotary clubs around the world in honor of World Polio Day, October 24th
 
Ludlow Rotarians are taking action in honor of 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.  
 
Throughout October, Ludlow Rotarians are asking community members to join them in the fight to eradicate polio for good. For just 65 cents you can vaccinate a child against this terrible disease. You can donate at www.ludlowrotary.org or directly at; Drop 65, Stop Polio | Eventgroove Fundraising.
Past Ludlow Rotary President and Polio Champion, April Beston, said, “Although polio has long been eradicated in the United States, if we do not eliminate it for good worldwide, it could resurge here as well. This terrible disease threatens the lives of every child in the world, and we must keep going until it is gone.”
 
Polio anywhere is a threat everywhere, and Ludlow Rotarians have long worked to end the paralyzing virus, which will be only the second human disease ever to be eradicated. Rotary has contributed more than US$2.9 billion to fight polio and countless volunteer hours since launching its PolioPlus program in 1985. In 1988, Rotary joined in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to form the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, later joined. When the initiative was launched, there were 350,000 cases of polio every year. Today, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent.
 
To sustain this progress and continue to reach every child with the polio vaccine, Rotary has committed to raising up to US$50 million each year to support global polio eradication efforts. The Gates Foundation has renewed its pledge through 2029 to match that 2-to-1 for a total yearly contribution of up to US$150 million. 
About Rotary
Rotary brings together a global network of community leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. We connect 1.2 million members from more than 45,000 Rotary clubs across the world. Their service improves lives both locally and internationally, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world.
Visit Rotary.org and endpolio.org for more about Rotary and its efforts to eradicate polio.
 
CONTACT: April Beston