“We shall overcome...”
Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Bruce Springsteen are some of the notable performers of this iconic song, which is probably best known for being the “anthem” of the American Civil Rights Movement in the Sixties. However, it could equally be the anthem for the international eff ort to eliminate Polio worldwide.
In the 1950s and early 1960s, polio epidemics occurred all over the world. Recorded fi gures for the period put an annual level of cases as being in excess of 350,000. The virus mainly aff ected children, sometimes fatally, but more often leaving the child with a severe physical disability.
The discovery of a vaccine in the early 1950s by Dr Jonas Salk, led to international governmental agreement to try to immunise children across the world with the objective of eliminating the disease worldwide. In 1988, Rotary International agreed, along with the World Health Organisation, that this would be a project to include all its clubs worldwide (there are now over 35,000 clubs, with in excess of 1.2 million members). That commitment to eliminating the disease has been greatly supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
In 1988, there were 125 countries whose children were exposed to the virus, now there are only three (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria). In 1988, there were over 35,000 recorded cases of polio; at the last count there were only 35! This means that together we have eliminated 99.9 per cent of the cases. Our target is to fi nish the job by 2020. We shall overcome!
October 24th was World Polio Awareness Day, and as part of these events the Rotary Club of Bridge of Allan and Dunblane, together with children from the local primary schools, and members of community fl ower groups, planted 5,000 purple crocus bulbs in Bridge of Allan and Dunblane to highlight the progress that has been made so far, and to encourage eff orts to achieve a successful conclusion to the fi nal eradication of polio.
At the Christmas Extravaganza, to be held on 30th November in Dunblane, the Club will have a presence, off ering the public the chance to purchase a symbolic purple crocus lapel pin for £1. Since 2013, Rotary International’s donations to EndPolio have been matched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, but now they will be tripled by the Foundation. So each £1 given for a Rotary crocus lapel pin will generate a total of £4 – an amazing opportunity. These funds are essential to help meet the outstanding worldwide target of approximately £300 million, which is needed to potentially eliminate the disease worldwide by 2020. We shall overcome!
So come and join us at the Extravaganza; you will be most welcome. Meetings of the Rotary Club are held at the Westlands Hotel, Doune Road, at 6.00 for 6-30pm. Anyone interested in attending should contact the Club Secretary, Iain Fraser at
secretary@dunblanerotary.org.uk Tel: 01786 822751. More information can be found on the Club website:
www.dunblanerotary.org.uk or the Facebook site:
www.facebook.com/dunblanerotary.
34 To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fi
ona@thewireweb.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
