End Polio Now Campaign

Chairman of Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Councillor Sir William Lawrence and Mr Ken Linfoot President of Stratford-upon-Avon Rotary Club will be taking part in the End Polio Now ceremony in the Bancroft Gardens, taking place at 11.00am on Friday 25^th March 2011 in the planted area behind the Fire Brigade Memorial.   

Members of the Stratford Rotary Club have planted 2000 purple Crocus bulbs in the area adjoining the Firemens Memorial in the Bancroft Gardens as part of Rotary International's “End Polio Now" Campaign.  Rotary Clubs throughout the country have been planting Crocus in the largest co-ordinated planting campaign ever carried out, to draw attention to the efforts now being taken to finally eradicate Polio.

President Ken Linfoot said that for twenty five years Rotary has spearheaded the campaign to immunise all children in the world against Polio and rid the world of this crippling disease. Rotary now works with the World Health Organisation and UNICEF in the most ambitious programme ever undertaken by Rotary.

As a result of the partnerships efforts Polio cases have dropped by 99% and is now restricted to four remaining countries(Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nigeria). We are now on the threshold of finally eradicating the disease.

Rotary has received an extraordinary boost by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of US$ 355 million with a challenge to the Rotary movement to itself raise US$ 200 million by June 2012. Rotary Clubs throughout the world have been busy raising funds and Rotary is now well on its way to meeting this challenge.

The millions of Crocus planted in October and November throughout the country were all purple. This is the colour which is dabbed onto a child's little finger to show that they have been inoculated against the disease.

The millions of Crocii now flowering represent the millions of children who have been inoculated and the need to finish the programme to finally End Polio.

Councillor Sir William Lawrence Chairman of Stratford-on-Avon District Council says: “After having been in a wheelchair for just over 50 years from having suffered polio and for that time being unable to walk at all. I really feel strongly about the eradication of this disease for everyone around the world. Although in this country polio is a thing of the past I strongly believe that people should be aware of the consequences of such a disease."

For further information contact Ken Linfoot Rotary Club of Stratford upon Avon on 01789 488208