End Polio Now Campaign

Since 1985 Rotary has been a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, that has spanned 200 countries, used 20 million volunteers, immunised over 2 billion children, probably spared 5 million from disability and averted more than a million deaths. Today, Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries where polio remains endemic.

The purple crocus is a symbol of the worldwide campaign with its colour representing the dye used to mark the finger of a child who has been immunised.   A life-saving oral polio vaccine cost is just 20p.

Our Club has been donating to the End Polio Now campaign since it started and has donated over £40,000 to date.  We also try to publicise the campaign annually on World Polio Day and by planting purple crocuses around the town to remind everybody that there is still work to be done to wipe it out completely.

This year we are offering bags of crocus corms to schools and organisations to plant themselves.  We can help or advice on the planting, and we’ve already planted 1,000 with the Service Users at the Pitscurry Project.   Uryside, St Andrew’s and Keithhall schools are lined up for after the October holidays.

All we ask in return is a few photos of the crocuses being planted (and some next spring when they flower) to help us publicise the campaign.  So, if you want to get involved in some crocus planting, just get in touch via our website or Facebook page.

We published a short video on our Facebook page and if you click on the image below it will take you there.