On Saturday 5 September, 26 the Polio Plus Society of District 9800 held its annual Afternoon Tea in the hall of Camberwell Uniting Church, attended by some 30 Rotarians including two Rotary Melbourne members: Polio survivor Prof Bruce Livett and Past President Robert Fisher.
The keynote address was given by PDG Murray Verso entitled “The Cultural History of Poliomyelitis”, and what a fascinating talk it turned out to be – full of stories, illustrations, video clips and music. Murray covered everything from the killing of thousands of cats and dogs in New York a century ago, when it was thought that animals could cause the spread of the disease. to the early involvement of Rotary in the fight to end Polio under Australian International President Sir Clem Renouf. He also brought us up-to-date with the latest stats on Polio, indicating that eradication could be as soon as one or two years away.
Murray was presented with a Regional Service Award for a Polio Free World by Rotary Foundation Trustee Dennis Shore and PDG Peter Shepheard. Also, PDG Grant Hocking was awarded a certificate for his stint as District Rotary Foundation Chair. Finally, Jane Pennington was thanked for her continuing work as District End Polio Coordinator.
Rotary continues to raise $50M a year globally for the End Polio Now appeal, to which the Gates Foundation adds double that amount, enabling $150M to be allocated to Polio programs around the world which are run by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). There will again be a District ‘End Polio Walk With Us’ campaign during the month of October, with an opportunity for members to lend support nearer the time. Watch this space!
Thank you Robert Fisher for this important report.
