Tag Archives: polio

Young brigade takes charge

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A Rotaract member in Pune watches polio drops being administered to a young child during a national immunization day.

By Jigneshh Karria, president, Rotary Club of Pune Baner, India

Seeing a twinkle in the eye of a baby you have helped gives you a happy feeling. When you see someone with a disability run or dance, you get inspired. My conviction in community service was strengthened when I realized how Rotary enables us to touch lives in a million different ways. During my presidency, I vowed to participate in as many Rotary signature projects as possible. One of those involved Rotary’s top priority, the eradication of polio. Rotary members are a huge reason India is polio-free.

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Australian tandem bike ride raises awareness for polio eradication

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Phil and Joyce Ogden set off from Perth
Phil and Joyce Ogden set out from Perth, Australia, on their ride across the Nullarbor Plain to raise money and awareness for Rotary’s polio eradication efforts.

By Phil and Joyce Ogden, Rotary Club of South Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

My wife Joyce and I enjoy tandem cycling. Two years ago, when I met somebody who had cycled the Nullarbor Plain in Australia, a seed was planted in the back of my mind that maybe this was a challenge for us to do in the future.

We are closer than ever to ending polio. We have reduced cases by 99.9% since 1988. With our partners, Rotary has immunized more than 2.5 billion children worldwide to end polio for good.  But we’re not there yet and we can’t afford to be complacent.

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Juicy apples deliver End Polio message

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District 2530 officials hold apples with the special End Polio mark at their district conference.

By Motoaki Sagara, District 2530 Public Image & IT Committee Chair, Japan

How can we get more people to learn about Rotary’s polio eradication efforts? This is a question my district asked recently. It’s not easy to get the public’s attention. It’s even less so in Japan, where polio has not been circulating in the wild for some time.

Last year, District 2530, Fukushima, sold Fuji apples, a local product of Fukushima, with the word “END POLIO” marked on them. As a result, we were able to raise more than $3,000 for polio eradication. It was an innovative idea. But there was another reason I was interested in this project. Continue reading →

How to plan a virtual World Polio day event

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2019 WPD event

Local civic and government officials and representatives from ten Rotary clubs at the 2019 World Polio Day event. Photo by David Andrews

By David F. Andrews, three-time past president, Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood, Ontario, Canada, and chair of District 7070’s Public Image Committee

After many years of celebrating World Polio Day with proclamations, updates from Rotary and health leaders, and flag-raising ceremonies, the 10 Rotary clubs in District 7070 (Ontario, Canada) took a different course in 2018. An in-person event held in a new global classroom and simultaneously streamed live is now serving as a great model as we approach holding our first World Polio Day live event in a COVID-19 world.

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When embracing your weakness helps you succeed

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Steve Stirling with medical supplies

Steve Stirling. CEO of MAP International, with some of the medical supplies the organization provides to people in need worldwide.

Editors Note: Watch our Global Polio Update streamed live on World Polio Day, 24 October.

By Steve Stirling, a member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta, Georgia, USA

They are typical job interview questions: What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness? 

But in my case, the interviewer often hesitates. After all, how do you ask a guy who is wearing leg braces and using crutches about his greatest weakness? It seems both obvious and insensitive. Continue reading →