World Polio Day recognized in the City of Oshawa
Oshawa Mayor John Henry (who is also a long-time member of the Oshawa Rotary Club) recently presented proclamations to Ron Dick, President of the Oshawa Rotary Club (the Mator’s Rotary Club) and to Ted Morrison, President of the Oshawa-Parkwood Rotary Club to recognize Oct. 24 as World Polio Day and to applaud the efforts of the local clubs in efforts to eradicate the disease.
Mayor Henry says, “I am so proud of my Rotary Club of Oshawa and also the Oshawa-Parkwood Rotary Club for their efforts in Rotary’s 32-year mission to eradicate the crippling childhood disease, Polio.”
The world is on the verge of eliminating one of the most dreaded diseases of the 20th century – poliomyelitis. During the first half of the 20th century, polio crippled over a half a million people every year.
Even today, children in some developing countries continue to fall victim to the disease. But thanks in large part to Rotary International and to the 1.2 million Rotary members worldwide, including the 10 Durham Region Rotary Clubs, the disease will soon be all but a memory.
The world is 99.9 per cent polio-free, but the fight to end polio is not over and Rotary Clubs world-wide continue to raise funds to meet the challenge.