World Polio Day recognized by Meadowbrook Interact Club

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