Pictured:
Meadowbrook Interact students celebrate World Polio Day with Purple Pinkie
event.
Byesville Rotary and Meadowbrook Interact (a
Rotary service club for young people) recognized World Polio Day by raising
money to help to end polio—a
crippling disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today.
For over 30 years, Rotary has worked to make
polio the second human disease to be eradicated. Smallpox was the first disease
eradicated. Ten years ago, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation joined Rotary
in the fight against polio. The money raised by Meadowbrook Interact and
Byesville Rotary will be tripled by a 2 to 1 match from the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation. The Interact club raised $50 dollars—that equals a $150
donation. Rotary club members were encouraged to write checks to PolioPlus—the
Rotary committee leading the fight against polio. Club members added $300 to
fight polio effort.
To date Rotary has donated $49.5
million to the fight against polio. The result is that worldwide polio has ended
in 122 countries. So far in 2017, only 12 polio cases have been reported in 3
countries—Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria.
Why should we worry about polio
in countries so far away? Until polio is completely eradicated, the disease
could return to countries that are now polio free. No unvaccinated child or
adult is safe from an infectious disease like polio. Dangerous, infectious
diseases are just 1 airline flight away.
Meadowbrook Interact students
hosted a Purple Pinkie Day to raise money. Each person making a donation had
his or her pinkie finger painted purple. The purple pinkie has special
significance in countries where vaccinations are being given. In order to keep
track of which children have been vaccinated, the vaccinator paints indelible
purple ink on the little finger nail of the child’s left hand. Before giving a
child the polio vaccine, this finger is checked to see if the child has
recently been vaccinated. If the child’s pinkie is not purple, the child gets
the vaccine.
Connect
with #ByesvilleRotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com , Twitter Byesville_Club, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. The club meets 7:30 am, Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center
at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Walk-ins are welcome at the
club’s meeting. #6690
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