End Polio Now

The worldwide Rotary movement has made tremendous progress in its campaign to eradicate polio completely. World Polio Day each October is a significant part of Rotary's ongoing commitment to eradicate polio, a crippling disease that is nearly wiped out but still poses a threat to children worldwide.  The symbol of the project is a purple crocus and in order to draw attention to the need to finish the task and rid the world of the scourge, The Rotary Club of Taunton purchased 4,000 crocus corms (bulbs) which were planted in 2025 in Maidenbrook Country Park, Maidenbrook Lane, Taunton, TA2 8JT (maidenbrookcountrypark.org.uk) in 2025 in the expanding woodland. This latest planting complements earlier plantings in Vivary Park a number of years ago.

Rotary's polio eradication program, launched in 1985, is a worldwide initiative to eliminate polio through fundraising, advocacy, and volunteer work. Rotary partners with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and other organizations to fund and support mass vaccination campaigns, with a focus on immunizing children, most notably through initiatives like the "End Polio Now" campaign. These efforts have drastically reduced polio cases worldwide, though challenges remain, especially in the few remaining endemic countries.