MEDIA RELEASE
October 15, 2014

North Bay to Proclaim October 24, 2014 as “World Polio Day”

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As part of Rotary International’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness and funds towards the complete eradication of polio by 2018, the City of North Bay will be proclaiming October 24th as World Polio Day in the city. Mayor Al McDonald will be making the proclamation during a special End Polio Now fundraising lunch being held at the Davedi Club from
Club President Colin Thacker with Mayor Al McDonald

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. that day. The lunch is a joint effort of Rotary and the Davedi Club, which will result in half of each $20 ticket sold going towards the End Polio Now campaign. There will also be a flagging- raising ceremony at city hall at 9 AM.

You can read the Proclamation - here.

 

Rotary District Governor Brian Menton will be providing an overview on this initiative, which continues to be The Rotary Foundation’s number one priority. Rotary and its partners, have reduced polio cases by 99 percent worldwide since the first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979, with currently only 3 polio-endemic countries remaining – Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. 

Rotary Club of North Bay President, Colin Thacker stated, “We are pleased to be partnering with the Davedi Club for such a worthy cause. For those who can not attend the lunch, we encourage you to make a donation online at www.rotary.org/end-polio”.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, also involves several partners – WHO (World Health Organization), UNICEF, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation, the largest private funding source for the initiative, has contributed over US$1.3 billion to date. They have recently extended their partnership during this critical endgame phase. Until the end of 2018, every US$1 Rotary commits to WHO and UNICEF in direct support of polio immunization, will be doubled (up to US$35 million per year) by the Foundation.

In Canada, Polio was one of the most feared childhood diseases of the 20th century. So feared, that as recently as the 1950s, it closed schools, emptied streets and banned children under 16 from entering many public places. Many younger Canadians have never heard of this paralyzing disease that deformed limbs and in the most severe cases, caused death by asphyxiation. Our last case was as late as 1977.

For tickets please contact Colin Thacker - cthacker@sympatico.ca or 705-494-8339. Tickets can also be purchased at the door on the 24th.

For more information about Rotary visit – www.rotaryclubofnorthbay.org or like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/RotaryClubOfNorthBay.

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Inspirational Letter from a North Bay polio survivor...click here.