Monday, Oct. 24 is World Polio Day. It is of bigger importance this year, as there have been recent cases reported in the United States, due to children not receiving their vaccinations.
Rotary International and, locally, the Rotary Club of Kissimmee West, has made one of their missions to eradicate the disease of Polio in the world, and especially in the United States.
Rotary West President Wilda Belisle said a dinner will be held at Big John’s Rockin’ BBQ on Monday evening, with the proceeds going toward Polio Plus, a project with the goal of eradicating the viral killer that potentially cripples children worldwide.
She also said the Rotary and other civic groups are working to organize a walk around the Kissimmee lakefront at 5:30 p.m.
“It’s all about creating awareness,” Belisle said. “People think that since there’s been a vaccine for years that it is gone, but it’s not over. So we do everything we can do, and together everyone can accomplish something.”
Osceola County and the city of Kissimmee planned proclamations for World Polio Day at meetings this week.
Rotary Clubs around the world, in partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, raise awareness of the effort and progress made in eradicating this paralyzing and potentially fatal disease, primarily affecting children under age five.
In 1988, Rotary and other partners including the World Health Organization formed the Initiative, at a time when there were approximately 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries every year.
Over the past 35 years Rotary members have contributed more than $2.2 billion and countless volunteer hours to vaccinate almost three billion children in 122 countries.
