MOUNT VERNON ROTARY CLUB JOINS BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION IN EFFORT TO END POLIO
Rotary Club of Mount Vernon has raised its goal of $1000 in funds to match a challenge grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation toward Rotary International’s PolioPlus initiative to end polio. Earlier this year, the Gates Foundation set the pace with $100 million to be matched by contributions from clubs around the world. Each club is to raise $1000 per year over three years. Mount Vernon Rotary President Melanie Bolender said, “I couldn’t be happier that our club raised more than $1200 in just over a month. We are very proud to contribute to the international effort to rid the world of this terrible disease.”
Rotary International has led an international effort to end polio since 1987. During that time, the number of polio cases worldwide has dropped by 99% and the number of countries reporting endemic infections has dropped from 125 to 4. In the four polio endemic countries, Afghanistan, Nigeria, India and Pakistan, wild poliovirus exists in very limited geographical areas. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant seeks to close the door on polio in the final areas and prevent its reemergence as an international health threat.
Rotary International is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs located in 167 countries.
For more information see:
http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/gates_grant_flyer_en.pdf
http://www.rotary.org/Ridocuments/en_pdf/gates_grant_flyer_en.pdf
http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/gates_grant_faq_en.pdf
For further information contact: Melanie Bolender, melanie_bolender@yahoo.com or Ted Rice 740-398-6267
October 13, 2008