BELIZE CITY ROTARIANS PARTICIPATE IN WALKATHON FOR POLIO PLUS AWARENESS.

After 20 years of hard work, Rotary and its partners are on the brink of eradicating this tenacious disease, but a strong push is needed now to root it out once and for all.

Contributions by Rotarians around the world will help Rotary raise $200 million to match $355 million in challenge grants received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The resulting $555 million will directly support immunization campaigns in developing countries, where polio continues to infect and paralyze children, robbing them of their futures and compounding the hardships faced by their families.

As long as polio threatens even one child anywhere in the world, children everywhere remain at risk. The stakes are that high.

In Belize several persons were affected by Polio. Major Errol Robateau, the Regional Commander of the Salvation Army in Belize and a Rotarian can attest to the effects this dreaded disease. Today, like Major Robateau several persons have survived this disease and are now productive citizens. Although Polio has been eradicated in Belize it is crucial that we continue to ensure that the disease is completely eradicated.

On Saturday April 25, 2009 Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Belize will participate in a Walkathon to commemorate the work of Rotary and its partners in eradicating Polio and to bring public attention of the Polio Eradication program.

Rotarians will walk from the BTL Park on Princess Margaret Drive towards Pallotti, Freetown Road, Mapp Street, North Front Street up to Tourist Village, Marine Parade and back to BTL Park. The walkathon starts at 6:00 a.m.

For more information contact:

Alberto Young @ 610-2225 / young.alberto@gmail.com

http://www.rotarybelize.org/ / http://www.rotary.org/