Rotary joining local McDonald’s to raise money to fight polio
Rotary members in Dubois County are taking action in honor of World Polio Day to raise awareness, funds, and support to end polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today.
On October 24, the Rotary Club of Dubois County is joining with the four McDonald’s locations in Dubois County in support of World Polio Day and polio eradication. From 5 to 8 p.m., the McDonald’s restaurants in Huntingburg, Ferdinand, and both Jasper locations will donate 20 percent of Happy Meal proceeds to the local Rotary to help eradicate Polio.
“Polio anywhere is a threat everywhere, and Rotary members around the world have long worked to end the paralyzing virus, which will be only the second human disease ever to be eradicated,” Jim McFaul, Community Service Chair for the Rotary Club of Dubois County said. “We greatly appreciate our collaboration with Mann Enterprises. This is the second year we are partnering with McDonald’s and we greatly appreciate their continued support of our cause. The crippling disease can infect persons at any age, but Polio mainly affects children under 5 years of age, therefore it is most fitting that the McDonald’s Happy Meal be the appropriate choice for this special day and donation.”
For those who cannot visit a McDonald’s location on World Polio Day but still wish to make a tax-deductible donation to the cause of eradicating polio, please contact the Club at rotaryclubduboiscounty@gmail.com.
Rotary has contributed more than US $2.7 billion to fight polio and countless volunteer hours since launching its PolioPlus program in 1985. In 1988, Rotary joined in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to form the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, later joined. When the initiative launched, there were 350,000 cases of polio every year. Today, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9%.
To sustain this progress and continue to reach every child with the polio vaccine, Rotary has committed to raising US$50 million each year to support global polio eradication efforts. The Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1 for a total yearly contribution of US$150 million.
