WILMINGTON — AM Rotary Club members in Wilmington took action on World Polio Day Oct. 24 to raise awareness, funds, and support to end polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today.

Local Rotarians are encouraged to donate to Polio Plus at www.rotary.org/donate.

The public is invited to join AM Rotary and bring their checks the second Friday in November — Nov. 8 at 7 a.m. at the General Denver. AM Rotary will buy breakfast for all non-Rotarians, who bring in a check of $50 or more. Checks should be made out to The Rotary Foundation.

Everyone who attends and donates will receive their breakfast free; or send to AM Rotary c/0 Mary Gibson, Treasurer, 253 Linkhart Road, Wilmington, OH 45177.

When Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative more than three decades ago, polio paralyzed 1,000 children every day. We’ve made great progress against the disease since then. Polio cases have dropped by 99.9 percent, from 350,000 cases in 1988 in 125 countries to 33 cases of wild poliovirus in 2018 in just two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

And we remain committed to the end.

With polio nearly eradicated, Rotary and its partners must sustain this progress and continue to reach every child with the polio vaccine. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk.

Rotary has committed to raising US$50 million each year to support global polio eradication efforts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total yearly contribution of $150 million.

Rotary has contributed more than $1.9 billion to ending polio since 1985 and

“Our membership gifts to Polio Plus averages $50 / year / member,” said AM Rotary

Foundation Chair, Chuck Watts. “Fighting disease is one of six of Rotary’s human rights causes.”