On Wednesday 4th October Margaret Francey (centre), the Foundation Chair of Bangor Rotary Club, met Council officers, Ian Beaney (right) and Nicola Kerr (left), to discuss the site at the entrance to the Walled Garden where the Council will plant 10,000 purple crocus corms for World Polio Day on 24th October on behalf of Bangor Rotary Club.Thirty-five years ago, Rotary began a campaign to eliminate polio from the globe, when polio was endemic in several continents with hundreds of thousands of cases each year. Over this period Rotary has raised 3.6 billion dollars to progress the campaign.
Today, the campaign would appear to be nearing its conclusion with only a handful of cases reported so far this year in only two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Yet these are countries with regions where the central government does not exercise full control; continued efforts need to be made. Furthermore, Rotary continues to support the many victims of polio still living with the effects of the disease.