With World Polio Day on 24 October, I’m proudly rooting for Rotary as we team up around the world to End Polio Now.
I had the honor of attending a Strike Out Polio event in July at PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates MLB team. The Rotary Club of Delmont-Salem hosted the event, which raised $1.3 million for PolioPlus.
Later in the summer, I joined members of our Rotary family in supporting the Más Millas Menos Polio (More Miles Less Polio) bike ride. Felipe Meza Chávez and his team rode all the way from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, to One Rotary Center in Evanston, Illinois, to raise money and awareness. The ride took 12 days, and Felipe and his team collected more than $100,000 to support the fight against polio. It was a joy to greet them as they arrived in Evanston.
And I was thrilled to see Team End Polio raise global awareness around the 2024 Paris Olympics. This world-class roster of athletes, global leaders, and polio eradication supporters came together to advocate for a world where no child has to live in fear of being paralyzed by polio. Some of the athletes on Team End Polio are polio survivors themselves, adding weight to their advocacy.
These are just a few examples of the many ways Rotary has teamed up recently to End Polio Now. It is vital that we continue to seek out and recruit teammates in polio eradication, especially after the challenges our eradication efforts have faced this year.
The Rotary world was heartbroken to learn about the tragic passing in August of Aidan O’Leary, director for polio eradication at the World Health Organization.
I knew Aidan and worked with him directly. He was a tireless advocate in the fight against polio and a kind, genuine man. We will remember him both for his advocacy and his warmth.
But where there is hardship, there is also hope. I feel hopeful whenever I consider the countless ways Rotary supports the fight every day to eradicate polio.
As people of action, we don’t have the luxury of giving in to despair, even in the face of tragedy. The best way to honor Aidan’s memory is by teaming up and reaching our goal to End Polio Now.
We made a promise to the children of the world and their families. It is incumbent upon us, together with our global partners, to end this threat once and for all.
There are so many ways we can team up to eradicate polio. You can donate to the End Polio Now campaign, join or initiate a PolioPlus Society in your club or district, or take inspiration from the fundraisers I mentioned above.
I encourage Rotary members around the world to continue to seek out new teammates, so that together, we end polio.
October is Rotary International's Economic & Community Development Month.
Rotary Clubs all over the world help communities and people in other countries with projects that aim to provide sustainable ongoing development and help, not just immediate charity.
The Rotary Foundation also enables Rotarians to invest in people by creating sustainable, measurable and long term economic improvements in their communities and livelihoods by:
* Building the capacity of entrepreneurs, community leaders, local organizations, and community networks to support economic development in impoverished communities;
* Developing opportunities for productive work;
* Reducing poverty in under-served communities; and
* Supporting studies for career-minded professionals related to economic and community development.
Find out more about the work of the Rotary Foundation and how you can help it at
A small but plucky group of Edmonton West Rotarians and a Rotaractor turned out for our Highway Clean Up. It was a lovely day and less rubbish than usual.
Boyle Street Friendship Feast
Our volunteers from Edmonton West and the Sunday Rotaract Club look forward to the Boyle Street Friendship Feast every year. Thanks to NAIT for providing the delicious meal, and to Dan and Kassie for asking us to help out. A big thank you to Karen Gibbens for trolling the Costco's and picking up the 60 pumpkin pies. Over 600 meals were served to the very grateful guests. What a perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving!!
The Daytimers
Capital Care Grandview
Our dedicated Daytimers were at Grandview decorating the grounds for Christmas. Many of the residents aren't able to go outside, but the lights and decorations can be seen through the windows. Thanks for the efforts of our volunteers, Al, Lorne, Karen, Diamond, Jocelyn, and Darryll for bringing some festive cheer to the residents this Christmas.
MacEwan University Peace Pole
by Ingrid Neitsch
MacEwan University exemplifies leadership among post secondary institutions for peace education. Senior executives joined with Rotary and Rotaract leaders to host a milestone Peace Ceremony on campus signifying that peace builders work and study here!
In our turbulent times, we all have a role to play in peacebuilding and peace education!
Rotarians and MacEwan University Health Centre staff walked in the Rucksack for Remembrance to raise awareness and support for the many Canadian military and first responder families who are fighting service-related battles everyday. Too many dedicated soldiers, officers, firefighters and paramedics succumb to illness, injury, and sadly, suicide.
Ian Hall, our Integrity Award recipient, and Wounded Warrior Ambassador brought the Rucksack March to Edmonton in 2017. Participants are encouraged to carry a 22-kilogram weighted rucksack. The reason for the 22 is that a study came out in 2005 that stated that 22 veterans die by suicide every day. The number obviously is increased if you count firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and other emergency response personnel.
Ian said, "I can tell you the names of at least 10 people that I served with who that was their choice," Hall said. "It is a reality and I think by coming out and talking about it, raising money and getting groups together, hopefully we can make a difference."
World Polio Day
One Day. One Focus: Ending Polio
World Polio Day is a time for Rotary members, public health advocates, and all who want a world free from polio to come together, recognize our progress in the fight to end polio, and talk about the actions we need to take in order to end polio for good.
Since Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative 30 years ago, more than 2.5 billion children have received oral polio vaccine, increasing the number of the world’s children living in polio-free countries from 10% to over 95%. It costs US$3.00 to fully protect a child against polio, including the cost of the vaccine and activities required to deliver the vaccine. Thanks to global support, 650,000 paralytic cases of polio are now prevented every year.
So far, Rotary has contributed more than $1.8 billion toward eradicating the disease worldwide.
Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. But it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.
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