Fundraiser to fight polio slated for Oct. 24.

Come join Milford-Matamoras Rotary Club on October 24 at the Dimmick Inn from 4 to 8 p.m. to help eradicate polio. With a $20 purchase of a polio wristband, beer and pizza will be provided throughout the night. Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a paralyzing and potentially deadly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5. The virus spreads from person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can then attack the nervous system.

Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. “Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever,” the Rotary said in its announcement. “As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we’ve reduced polio cases by 99.9% since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.”

According to the club’s announcement, Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort. Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“It’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.”

The Milford-Matamoras Rotary Club meets every Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. at the Dimmick Inn in Milford. Anyone interested in becoming a member can contact Shaun Burger at 570-517-6654 or attend a meeting.