Local service clubs like the Lions Club, Kiwanis, Optimist, Sertoma and Rotary matter. Each contributes locally and on a larger scale world-wide.
The Lions concentrate on sight and vision having been challenged by Helen Keller in 1925.
Kiwanis is about “building” with helping kids their stated mission.
The Optimist strive to make a difference for kids and their communities.
Locally Sertoma is known for their “Little Train” and putting up flags while hearing is their overriding mission.
If the groups just mentioned want equal time it will be available but, today I’m talking about Rotary International and its’ world-wide effort to eradicate Polio.
In the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s Polio was a feared disease. An infection causing paralysis and death it was most common in the summer months.
Also known as Infantile Paralysis its treatment was to be the sole beneficiary of our Jones Trust in the 50’s. In 1955 the Salk vaccine was introduced and has been successful in eliminating polio from most of the world, but the task is not complete and Rotary continues the fight it started in 1979 to totally eradicate this dread disease.
After Rotary’s initial effort in ’79 they got serious in 1985 introducing PolioPlus with a goal of raising $120 million to immunize every child in the world. By 1988 $247 million had been raised!!
By 2003 the effort was gaining traction a new goal resulted in $135 million additional being raised including a million dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Gates’ were just warming up! In 2007 they challenged Rotary with a $100 million challenge.
Today just three countries have active poliovirus – Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria. Treating children in those countries is difficult because they each have much bigger issues than health to deal with.
The numbers are staggering! At the recent Rotary International Convention the organization announced along with the Gates Foundation pledging an additional $450 million dollars for the effort.
Even though last year there were only 19 reported cases of polio worldwide and 8 cases so far this year – the fight goes on. You see if the virus remains anywhere it can spread back to the places where it has already been cleared. The battle is not won yet. The U.S has been polio free since 1979. To date the efforts of Rotary and Gates have immunized over 2 ½ billion children!
Service clubs like Emporia’s Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, Optimist and Sertoma would be sorely missed if not active. They do matter!
