Polio – now a much less scary topic than years gone by…
October 31st, 2011October Boo Series
by Joy Ferguson, Relocation Director
It is so uplifting to see what wonderful works people can do by having a vision and a commitment.
Eradicating polio became a major project for The Rotary Club and their members back in 1985. Since then they have come a long way in achieving this goal. With assistance from major donors, including Bill and Melinda Gates, to volunteers literally on the ground in Third World countries – going door to door with the polio vaccine.
In the words of Bill Gates World Polio Day is
“Both a celebration and a call to action.
It’s a celebration because in the past 20 years, polio cases are down 99 percent, thanks to one of the most ambitious global health campaigns in history. Through a vast partnership, we’ve delivered polio drops to children in impossible circumstances—in active war zones, in remote mountainous regions that are unreachable for months at a time. It’s a great achievement.
But World Polio Day is also a call to action because we haven’t done enough yet. Polio is still paralyzing children. The last one percent is the hardest percent, and we have to do even more than we’ve already done if we hope to finish the job on polio. The day the world is declared polio free is the day we can really begin celebrating.”
October 24th marks the birth of Jonas Salk who was the leader of the team that invented a polio vaccine in 1955. In 1988, Albert Sabin developed an oral polio vaccine. How fitting that this should now be World Polio Day.
Thank you to the Loveland Rotary Club, and member Fran Bostwick, who invited me to their Luncheon on October 25th. Fran is seen here with her son-in-law and daughter Rod and Rebecca Fishkin.
We all owe such a debt of gratitude to people like Fran who volunteer their time and energy.
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Joy Ferguson Relocation Director Keller Williams Realty of Northern Colorado JoyFerguson@kwnoco.com |
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posted by: Joy Ferguson, Relocation Director at Keller Williams Realty of Northern Colorado
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