On Saturday, February 9th, Rotary District 7930 will sponsor its 9th Annual Polar Plunge at Long Beach in Gloucester. This event supports Rotary International’s efforts to eliminate polio worldwide. The plunge is expected to draw more than 300 participants this year, with representation from the Rotary Club of Chelsea among others. In the previous year, approximately 250 people participated, generating more than $100,000 in contributions and attracting members, friends, and family from 45 different Rotary Clubs.
Polio eradication has served as Rotary International’s primary focus since 1985, with partnerships formed alongside The Global Poverty Project, The Global Eradication Initiative, The World Health Organization, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These combined efforts have generated more than a billion dollars from Rotary clubs and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation worldwide. When Rotary International launched its anti-polio campaign, the disease affected more than 350,000 individuals across 125 countries. Currently, only three countries remain where polio has not been eradicated: Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria. Thanks to sustained efforts and contributions, significant progress continues.
In 2018, Nigeria achieved a milestone with no new polio cases reported, and global cases dropped to just 29 for the entire year.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation continues to offer a 2:1 matching grant for every dollar that Rotarians contribute toward eradication initiatives. Donations as small as $0.60 can create meaningful change. Local Rotarians welcome community support as they enter the cold Atlantic waters near Gloucester to advance polio eradication. The Chelsea Club has established a fundraising goal of $1000 to contribute toward the district’s objective of raising $250,000. An electronic fundraising system has been implemented for this purpose. Those wishing to contribute should visit Chelsea Rotary’s team page to make a donation and help eliminate this disease. https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/polio/team/Chelsea
To learn more about how the Rotary Club of Chelsea contributes to both local and international communities, visit chelsearotary.org or reach out to the club at [email protected]