Dear editor,

Wednesday was World Polio Day - an ongoing project of Rotary International to make the planet free of wild and crippling polio viruses.

Thirty years ago, there were 125 countries with the polio virus and almost 1,000 more children were paralyzed by polio every single day. Since then, Rotary has helped immunize 2.5 billion children. Last year alone, Rotary and its partners reached 430 million children in 39 countries.

Great Bend Rotary Club has given thousands of dollars over the years to help end this crippling disease. In the past 30 years the club has raised $23,000. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation matches their giving 2 for 1. 

This year to date, polio has been found in only 15 cases in Afghanistan and four in Pakistan. However, Rotary CANNOT quit and must keep its commitment to the children of the world until the world is declared polio-free. What an accomplishment that would be!

Lee Musil

Great Bend Rotary President