The Vermilion Rotary Club took significant steps in the fight against polio, raising awareness and collecting donations at three local schools during the weeks of March 11 and 18.
On March 11 and 12, members of the Vermilion Rotary Interact Club at J.R. Robson, under the direction of Lorne Maier, hosted a bake sale during lunch hour. The sale featured $2 cupcakes, brownies, cake pops, and cookies, some decorated with purple icing to symbolize the cause. One dollar from each cupcake was donated to the Rotary’s End Polio Now Campaign with the other $1 going toward Interact Club projects.
Rotary Interact Club member Jack Maier explained the choice of a bake sale, stating, “We chose to do a bake sale to help raise funds for the campaign because kids like sweets, so it is a great way to raise money.” He emphasized that all proceeds would go directly to the Purple Pinkie campaign.
On March 12, Rotarians visited St. Jerome’s School from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. to educate students and teachers about polio. The initiative allowed participants to learn about the disease, contribute donations, and mark their pinkie fingers with a washable, non-toxic purple marker. This symbolic gesture mirrors the dye used to identify immunized children in polio-endemic areas.
The Rotary Club will also visit Vermilion Elementary School (VES) on March 18 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., where they will conduct presentations and offer students the opportunity to mark their pinkies purple with a $2 donation.
According to Rotary International, Afghanistan and Pakistan remain polio-endemic regions. Globally, Rotary members have mobilized resources, raising $2.1 billion and immunizing over 3 billion children across 122 countries through oral vaccination campaigns.
“Our advocacy efforts have spurred governments to contribute over $10 billion to this cause,” states Rotary International’s website, underscoring the importance of sustained eradication efforts. “If all eradication efforts ceased today, within a decade, polio could afflict as many as 200,000 children annually.”
The Rotary Club extends its gratitude to the staff and students of the three Schools for their continued support of this crucial campaign.
The Vermilion Rotary Club’s dedication to polio eradication highlights the power of community action in addressing global health challenges and offers hope for a polio-free future.
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