PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – On World Polio Day October 24th, The Rotary Club of St Maarten-Mid Isle will join thousands of Rotary clubs around the world who will hold events and fundraisers to recognize Rotary’s progress in the global fight to end polio.
In continuing their support for the eradication of polio worldwide the Rotary Club of Maarten- Mid Isle will host the annual Ramesh Manek Walk-a-Thon for ‘End Polio Now’ fundraising event on Saturday October 19th starting at 5:30am. The walk starts and ends at Tony’s Air Conditioning opposite Carl & Sons Unique Inn in Cole Bay. Support is also possible by joining the participants for fellowship at the breakfast after the walk. Tickets are available from all Mid Isle Rotarians for USD 15 per person which includes breakfast and an ‘End Polio Now’ T-shirt. Tickets can also be purchased at the event. The route is from Tony’s Air Conditioning – Orange Grove road – Waterfront Road – Airport Road – Causeway Bridge – Union Road – Orange Grove Road and back to Tony’s Air Conditioning.
Polio Poliomyelitis (polio) is a paralyzing and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in some parts of the world. The poliovirus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. It can strike at any age but mainly affects children under five. Polio is incurable, but completely vaccine-preventable.
The Rotary Club of St Maarten-Mid Isle would like to ask all citizens of St. Maarten to think about this debilitating disease Polio that has only been removed from the America’s since 1994. As long as the disease has not been eradicated, everybody in the world risks the return of polio to their communities. You too can be a part of the global effort to eradicate this disease globally very soon, as we really are this close to total eradication, by participating in the various efforts to raise the funds needed. These funds help to provide much-needed operational support, medical personnel, laboratory equipment, and educational materials for health workers and parents. Governments, corporations and private individuals all play a crucial role in funding towards the eradication of polio.
To date, Rotary has contributed more than $1.9 billion to fight the disease, raised by events like this Walk-a-Thon, and countless volunteer hours since launching its polio eradication program, PolioPlus, in 1985, the first initiative to tackle global polio eradication through the mass vaccination of children. In 1988, Rotary became a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation later joined and matches 2 to 1 every dollar raised by Rotary up to USD 150 million annually. Since the initiative was launched, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, from about 350,000 cases in 1988 to 33 cases of wild poliovirus in 2018.
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. We connect 1.2 million members from more than 35,000 Rotary clubs in almost every country in 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.
Until Polio is eradicated the Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle remains fully committed to the global fight for the total eradication of Polio through its awareness and fundraising projects. If you would like to make a donation or learn more about how you can help eradicate polio please contact any Mid Isle Rotarian or leave a message on our Facebook page Rotary Club of St. Maarten Mid Isle.
The Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle meets Tuesday at 7pm at Pineapple Pete in Simpson Bay. For more information please contact rotarysxm.mi@gmail.com or visit our face book page Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle.
