Rotary's "World Polio Day" Is October 24

"Rotary International" has led the way and includes "The Warren Rotary Club" as part of making the world a Polio Free World! We are almost there!

What would you think if you woke up one Monday morning with a slight headache and by the end of the week you could not move your legs.  This nightmare has recently occurred in clusters of children in Colorado and Minnesota as the Center for Disease Control reported a mysterious outbreak of Acute Flaccid Myelitis(AFM) which mimics symptoms of polio.  Could it happen here?

It already has.  In 1941 newspapers across Alabama were reporting widespread polio outbreaks across the state.  Some simply contracted flu like symptoms.  Others were permanently paralyzed, some died.  Why?  Polio is a virus that attacks the nervous system.  It can be transmitted through direct contact with someone infected with the virus or through contaminated food and water.  There is no cure for Polio but it can be prevented.  Fortunately, in 1955, Dr. Jonas Salk, developed a vaccine which stopped the virus dead in its tracks.  In 1979, Rotary(an international service organization) and the Warren Rotary Club chose to lead the way in eradicating polio around the world and thus help protect all of us.  As a result of Rotary's efforts over 2.5 billion children have been vaccinated and protected from polio.

How effect has Rotary been?  In 1979, there were over 350,000 polio cases world wide in over 100 countries.  As of today, only two countries are still reporting cases of the wild polio virus.  But we cannot rest until every county get the all clear.  Teams of doctors, nurses, researchers, analysts, and field study personnel must be supported along the way in order to keep polio at baby and ultimately defeat tit.  The vaccine itself is very inexpensive because Dr. Salk and those who followed him chose not the get a patent, recognizing this life saving discovery was bigger and more beneficial to the world than any paycheck.  Salk is a true inspiration of the love he had for his fellow man.  The Warren Rotary Club invites you to join us and "Be the Inspiration" and party of history by giving generously the End Polio Now!!!

To donate, contact "The Rotary Club of Warren" on its Facebook page.

Or go to www.rotary.org

Or go straight to the Rotary donate page www.endpolio.org/donate(place cursor on the blue colored website, hold ctrl down and left mouse click.)  You can donate as a guest.

Best regards,

The Rotary Club of Warren, Club #2567 and District #6170 of the International Rotary Club.