The New Bern Breakfast Rotary Club will join Rotarians around the world in celebrating Rotary International’s World Polio Day on Sunday, October 24. Locally, members of the Breakfast club will meet at the Union Point Park Gazebo at 8:30 a.m. The three-mile Walk To End Polio along the New Bern waterfront and through parts of downtown, will begin at 9:00 a.m.
“We are encouraging friends, family, and business associates of our club members to pledge their financial support, by the mile or a donation of any amount, so we can continue our efforts to END POLIO NOW,” said Paul Platek, the club’s Foundation Chair and Walk organizer. Donations can be made online to the Rotary Foundation at www.endpolio.org. Alternatively, checks payable to The Rotary Foundation can be mailed to the New Bern Breakfast Rotary Club, P. O. Box 14625, New Bern, NC 28561.
Polio is a virus spread from person to person, typically through contaminated water. The virus is highly infectious, attacking the nervous system, leading to paralysis and sometimes death. Children under the age of 5 are the most vulnerable although the disease can occur in older children or even in adults. There is no cure, but safe and effective vaccines, developed in the 1950’s by Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Albert Sabin, have dramatically reduced the occurrence of this devastating disease in most of the world.
Rotary International, with other world partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), has immunized over 2.5 billion children throughout the world since 1985, reducing the number of cases by 99.9%. Only two countries remain susceptible to this serious disease – Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Until we end Polio forever, every child, everywhere, is at risk. Please join Rotary, and the New Bern Breakfast Rotary Club in helping to END POLIO NOW with your donation for World Polio Day!
Submitted by Paul Platek, Foundation Chair, New Bern Breakfast Rotary Club