More than 35 years ago, Rotary International made it their mission to eradicate polio, an infectious disease that affects the nervous system and can lead to paralysis.
For those living in the United States, where the polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk is widely available, this debilitating disease no longer poses a problem. But worldwide, this disease still exists.
Currently, the endemic poliovirus type 1 still runs rampant in two countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to the World Health Organization. And on Aug. 23, polio resurfaced in Gaza for the first time in 25 years with a case confirmed in a 10-month-old unvaccinated child.
Coronado Rotary Club has been participating annually in fundraising efforts to quash this disease, raising thousands of dollars each year to support worldwide eradication efforts.
“Over the course of the past 14 years, Rotary Club of Coronado has raised more than $1 million for this effort,” said Pat Starke, the president of the Rotary Club of Coronado.
This year, Rotary’s annual “End Polio Now” online auction, which launched on August 21 and is open until Sept. 6 at 8 p.m., provides the community with the chance to bid on more than two dozen items, opportunities and experiences, all with the purpose of donating proceeds to “End Polio Now.”
Twenty-six local merchants are participating in this annual frenzy, with items ranging from an electric bike and an original abstract expressionist painting, to a round of golf at the Coronado Golf Course and Emerald Badge passes to the Coronado Island Film Festival.
“Rotary International’s foremost goal remains the global eradication of Polio,” said Starke. “This year, there have been 17 cases of wild poliovirus, with nine in Afghanistan and eight in Pakistan. By supporting Rotary Club’s End Polio Now online auction, every dollar raised will go directly to provide polio vaccinations to millions of children around the world who have yet to be vaccinated.”
Head to their website to see what’s up for grabs: http://coronadorotaryauction.com.
