Help Rotary Achieve a Polio-Free World!
PolioPlus, the most ambitious program in Rotary's history, is the volunteer arm of the global partnership dedicated to eradicating polio. Since the program began in 1985, Rotary has led the private sector in the global effort to rid the world of this crippling disease. Thanks to this effort, more than two billion children have received the oral polio vaccine. Today, PolioPlus and its role in the initiative is recognized worldwide as a model of public-private cooperation in pursuit of a humanitarian goal.
In addition to providing financial and volunteer support, Rotary works to urge support from other public and private sector partners. This includes the campaign to End Polio Now, inspired by the extraordinary challenge grants received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Robert Scott, chair of Rotary's International PolioPlus Committee, says we are a critical point: "But to achieve a polio-free world, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication initiative need your support to spread the word. Together, we must educate and and activate individuals, organizations, and, most importantly, governments, to keep up the fight to End Polio Now. Robust and coordinated digital outreach is necessary to reach our goal."
Visit Rotary's new polio website and help us make history!
That's why Rotary has created a virtual home--endpolionow.org--where people can rally together to finish the fight to end polio. The website is available in English now, with other languages to follow. A link to the site, and to more information about Rotary's role in eradicating the disease, are located to the left.
Key features include:
- Compelling stories you can share about polio eradication
- Interactive, dynamic graphics that help you tell the story
- How your and others' donations can be used to fight polio
- How to use your social media status to share Rotary's polio story and calculate your "social worth"
- Links to polio communications resources that will help you educate and inspire others to end polio now
Please visit endpolionow.org, interact with its features, and share it with others through your own websites, blogs and social media channels.
Want to know what you and your club can do to help win the fight against polio? Check out the Polio Advocacy Toolkit, located in Downloads to the left of this page for good ideas!
According to Chairman Scott, "We are 'this close' to making history by eradicating the crippling disease polio once and for all. We are at a true tipping point: case counts have never been lower, the number of countries affected has never been fewer--the time to beat polio is now. Only smallpox has ever been eradicated, and we will make history again by vanquishing polio."