Rotary’s role in eradicating polio 

It started innocently enough.  There was a huge outbreak of polio in The Philippines and Rotarians undertook in 1979 to stop that epidemic by vaccinating 6,000,000 Filipino children.  There was a naïve belief that the raging worldwide epidemic that was crippling some 350,000 people a year, most of them children 5 and under, could be stopped in a few years. 

That vaccination campaign didn’t stop the epidemic, but it convinced Rotarians that they should lead the effort to eradicate polio.  At the RI Convention in 1985 in Kansas City, Rotarians voted to launch a campaign to raise $120 million to vaccinate children against polio. But Rotarians didn’t raise $120 million – they raised $250 million, and the campaign was on!  (Since then, Rotarians have contributed more than $2.2 billion to the campaign through PolioPlus.)

 Soon, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and others joined Rotary in the campaign.  The official campaign started in 1988 when the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), said to be largest international public health initiative in history, was launched.  Now, nearly 40 years and $19 billion later, polio has been reduced by 99.9% and millions of children have been saved from paralysis and death, but it still has not been eradicated.  (90% immunization is considered necessary to stop it.)

Safe to say, this worldwide effort likely would not have started when it did had it not been for Rotary and Rotarians.  As cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead said:  “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  And that’s what Rotarians are doing!

 For much more information, go to https://polioeradication.org/ and https://www.rotary.org/en/history-rotary-polio-eradication-efforts.

Monthly Bulletin Lander Rotary Club
September 2022

• A spontaneous two-minute standing ovation caused goosebumps and not a few tears when the flag of Ukraine reached center stage in the flags presentation.  Flags of more than 200 Rotarian countries -- more countries than there are in the United Nations --were paraded across the stage  In contrast, when the Russian flag was presented, the hall was silent.
• Rotary gained 45,000 new Rotarians this last year, including 150 Rotactors,  placing us at 1.4 million Rotarians.  Most new Rotarians are in India, Korea and Africa.
• 19 Million lives have been saved with Polio immunizations. 20 Million lives were lost in WWI. 
• Speaker: General Charles Duke (USAF Ret.) was the Lunar Module pilot on the fifth moon landing during the Apollo 16 mission. Speaking of the work involved… “If this thing fails, it isn’t going to be my fault. There was no jealousy.  No one was fighting for glory.”  “We chose to go to the moon." 
• Speaker: John Hewko – General Secretary of Rotary and a member of the Rotary Club of Kiev, Ukraine.  “Young people are hungry for meaningful, personal engagement. Meaningful connections.  How do we do that?”  Rotary membership has increased in Ukraine since the war began earlier this year. 
• Speaker: Dr. Olha, who came from Ukraine to speak at the convention, even without flights out of Ukraine.  She told us “to see a friend, no road is too long.”  She talked of the difficulty of performing operations. That alone was inspirational.  An anesthesiologist in the audience kept wiping away tears imagining what her colleague had endured.   Dr. Olha reported that the Rotary district in Ukraine holds special online meetings twice daily to coordinate deliveries of supplies to those most in need.

Rotary Statement on Ukraine
A message from Director Vicki Puliz

Lander Rotarians Undertake Projects at Group Home

“Each One, Bring One” is Membership Theme for 2021-22     
 “No challenge is too big for Rotarians,” President Proclaims

   In Rotary Year 2021-22, Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta is urging each Rotarian -- in every corner of the world -- to introduce at least one person to Rotary.  He calls the campaign “Each One, Bring One,” and that will be the theme for the Lander Rotary Club’s membership initiative this Rotary year.

Lander Care and Share Food Bank and
Lander Community Foundation Covid 19 Relief Fund
Benefit from recent Lander Rotary Gifts

                

The Corona Virus outbreak was responsible for the cancellation of this year’s annual Lander Rotary Fourth of July Buffalo BBQ.  This Buffalo BBQ is the major fund raiser for Lander Rotary’s local and International service projects including the world wide eradication of Polio, local scholarships and youth programs, support for the Lander Community Food Bank and the Lander weekly free Community meal.

                

Thank you for considering helping us out! See the purchase site for details. If you have questions, you can send them to our volunteer organizers through the sales website. 

Return Friendship Exchange to District 4600 Brazil
September 6-17
   Information provided by Raju Jairam of District 4600

• 20 Rotarians dedicated 40 hours of service volunteering at the Lander Live Concert July 20, 2017;
• 32 Rotarians have dedicated 171 hours serving and sharing meals with folks in our community through assisting with the Good Samaritan Free Community Meal each month (15 of the 32 Rotarians assisted with the meals 2-5 or more times); 
• 24 Rotarians and others in our community have dedicated 128 hours reading with Lander elementary school and Lights On In Lander students;
• 24 Rotarians dedicated 38 hours serving as bell ringers helping to raise $2,375 for the Salvation Army;
• 11 Rotarians have volunteered to shovel out those who are elderly or otherwise unable throughout the winter months;
• 9 Rotarians have dedicated 51 hours serving on the Rotary Service Committee planning ways in which we can help others in our community;
• 5 Rotarians dedicated 10 hours to distributing dictionaries to area Third Graders;
• At least 3 Rotarians have dedicated at least 3 hours to unloading food at the Care & Share Food Bank;
• 4 Rotarians dedicated 11 hours to assisting with the annual Dr. Seuss Birthday Reading event at Gannett Peak Elementary;
• 3 Rotarians dedicated 5 hours to supporting the Special Olympics in the Jackalope Jump; and
• 9 Rotarians spent 18 hours assisting the City of Lander with staining benches along Lander’s Main Street;

Sam has recently written a historical fiction book. Heavy Green.  Below is the book description:

"By 1967 the Pentagon could see that stopping the flow of weapons into South Vietnam was the only way the United States could win the war. Key to this effort was the aerial bombing of certain supply depots and constriction points along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, but the weather and air defenses of North Vietnam made that task nearly impossible. Taking advantage of the rugged terrain of Laos, and with the help of the Thai Special Forces and the Laotian hill tribes, the CIA put into place a covert program that could pinpoint each of the bombing raids. This top secret operation would tilt the axis of the war, and the North Vietnamese had to counter it. Meticulously researched and based on information classified until 1988, Heavy Green is an epic war novel that tells the story of this secret operation and the daring raid that was designed to bring it down."

• We were joined by John Brown and Manny Muniz. Thanks to both for taking time out of their day to join us. 
• The new member social has been tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, February 1. More details to follow. 
• This year there was outstanding participation from our club in the Salvation Army bell ringing. Go team! 
• The discussion from Wednesday's meeting, about the appropriateness of programs continued. The board decided that it will not shy away from community issues as programs (even if they are controversial). The board is committee to representing as many sides to an issue as possible. 
• Just a reminder that a list of upcoming programs can be found on our website (www.landerrotary.org). If you have questions or concerns about an upcoming program, you are encouraged to reach out to one of the current board members (Trey Warren, Mike Lilygren, Sarah Hamlin, Mandy Fabel, Helen Higby, Staci Lancaster, Linda Hudson, Rick Rollino, Mark Calhoun, Dominick Weigel). 

Deborah Nunnink receives her blue badge

A bunch of eager young Lander Interact Club members were on hand at the MAW grounds to show the Lander Rotarians how to get real work done. The young adults offered classes in grass pulling, digging and bagging to the more sedate Rotarians.

The only one not working was a very smart dog that found some shade and relaxed while the toil was progressing around her.

To show their appreciation to the Interact workers, the Lander Rotary Club treated them to lunch and a Game and Fish presentation on fishing in the Wind River Range.