Williston Rotary Club members received the challenge to have purple pinkies Tueday when Lake City Rotarian John Wheeler spoke to the club about eliminating polio around the world.
Once pandemic, polio is close to being eradicated and Rotary has taken on the project to ensure it is in most of our lifetimes.
Today, the disease, which affects the nervous system and causes paralysis, originates in four countries: Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nigeria.
“As long as polio is somewhere in the world,” Wheeler said, “it’s only a plane ride to this part of the world.”
Thus far in 2010, 648 cases have been reported, he said, and that compares to 1,008 in 2009.
The Purple Pinkie Project, begun by the Lake City Rotary Club, raises funds to ensure that the polio vaccine is available.
One dollar provides vaccine (cost 60 cents) for one child and with the dollar-for-dollar match from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, three children can be spared from polio, he said.
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