Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay Raises Awareness and Funds to End Polio

Rotary members in Sturgeon Bay are among thousands reaching out on 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.

Since Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative nearly 30 years ago, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, from approximately 350,000 cases a year to 26 confirmed as of Sept. 19, 2016. To sustain this progress, and protect all children from polio, experts say $1.5 billion is urgently needed. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to previously polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk.

“We all know stories of those whose lives have been forever changed by polio, and we look forward to the final eradication of this tragic disease in our lifetimes,” says Doug Williams, president of the Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay. “Rotary members worldwide have contributed more than $1.6 billion to ending polio since 1985, including funds raised by our club.”

Visit endpolio.org for more information.