Bangor Rotary helps to ‘End Polio Now’

President Denis Neill with Vice President Bill Aiken, showing the Certificate of Achievement presented to the Club for its contribution towards ‘End Polio Now’

The Rotary Club of Bangor has contributed to the fight to finally eradicate polio throughout the world by raising the equivalent of US $6000 this year to support the work of the ‘End Polio Now’ project.

This has been undertaken by Rotary International, with the massive support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , and together they raised over 600 million dollars by the end of January this year. This campaign has been a great success and can report the eradication of the disease in India, leaving only three countries in which polio is endemic, with a mere 644 new cases reported worldwide in 2012. Bangor Rotary added its total to the equivalent of US $464,000 raised so far by 45 Irish Rotary Clubs.

It raised its money in a range of fund raising activities, including the recent car ballot held in the Bloomfields shopping centre. The collective effort of the members was recognised at the Rotary District Council meeting, held in Belfast in January, when President Denis Neill was presented with a Certificate of Achievement by Rotary District Governor Barney Callaghan.