The countless raffle tickets you have sold, the endless fundraisers that you have held to raise funds to eradicate a disease that is for most of us a distant memory and for protecting children whose names you will never know .
As Nelson Henderson said “The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit”
Polio was the most feared disease until its 99.9% eradication from the world but to those whom it threatens the fear remains.
Polio is vicious and devours the body leaving wasted limbs, perpetual pain, premature death.
No child deserves this fate and one infected child is one child too many.
We have to remember that none of us are safe until all of us are safe.
Rotary made a promise to the children that they will live in a polio free world where they will not be robbed of the simple gift of walking, running or playing with their friends.
The world thought we were crazy. They wanted to know how would we start to eradicate polio when 350,000 children were infected every year in over 100 countries .
Steve Jobs said those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world usually do.
We are now down to less than 70 cases in 2 countries.
On Oct 24th, the World Polio Day let us renew our promise and commitment that we will not stop until we drop to zero.
For every child who is saved there is a brother, a sister, a father, a mother, who is saying “Thank You Rotary.”
And to you my fellow Rotarians, I thank you for your continued commitment, care and compassion for protecting all of our children in the world.
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