09, October 2020 — Rotary members in Australia are taking action now until October 31 to raise awareness, funds and support to end poliomyelitis, a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens the children of the world today.
As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary worldwide has helped to reduce polio cases from an average of 1,000 cases per day in 1987 to a total of only 174 cases in 2019, a 99.9% reduction.
The good news is that fundraising can be fun. The Rotary Walk With Us campaign makes it as easy as going for a walk.
Using Rotary’s friendly website, rotarywalkwithus.org, you can register to walk and then set your own distance and fundraising goals. Alternatively, you can donate to someone who is walking. For the walkers, the total distance is accumulated over the month of October, so you can walk when, where and with whom you want, all in a COVID safe way. Each walk is logged on the website along with all donations.
One final challenge remains: to eliminate polio from Afghanistan and Pakistan, the last two countries where it remains endemic. Failure to do so, while also keeping all other countries polio-free, would see as many as 200,000 children paralysed each year within the next decade.
Fortunately, Rotary and its partners are committed to making polio the second disease ever to be totally eradicated, the other being smallpox. What is required is the funding to make it happen.
Corporate sponsorship from Bendigo Bank and other businesses has covered the administration costs. This means that, 100% of funds raised by walkers will go to Rotary’s End Polio Now programme. And all donations through Rotary will be matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Donations over $2.50 are tax deductable. Individuals, teams and Rotary clubs will be recognised and credited for their donations.
Register to walk and donate at rotarywalkwithus.org
This site has more information on the event and the global program to eradicate Polio.
Be a part of history and donate today. Your gift will get us closer to the finish line.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Kitty O’Connor - End Polio Ambassador
Grant Hocking - D9800 District Governor 2019-2020