Mike Crosby Speaking Speaks to Rotary Club on Efforts to Eradicate Polio
Photos by Jim Negri, CV Rotary
Mike Crosby addressed the Rotary Club of Castro Valley on Tuesday, April 1 on the status of Rotary Internationals efforts to eradicate polio worldwide. Crosby works with Marny Eulberg to support thirty Districts of Rotary International covering half of the United States and part of Canada.
CV Rotarian Dwight Perry, who has headed up the Rotary Foundation and the PolioPlus program for the Club for more than twenty-five years and was formerly The Rotary Foundation Chair and PolioPlus Chair for District 5170 stated “I’ll do whatever I can personally to support the program and see that polio is eliminated in the world.” Through his leadership, The Rotary Club of Castro Valley is “all in” to help eradicate polio worldwide as their membership has contributed $176,171 between 1988 and 2024, with $22,429 being contributed in 2024.
Although polio currently circulates in only a few countries, polio is highly infectious and spreads rapidly. The disease, which afflicts mainly children, is transmitted via contaminated water and food supplies. Five to ten percent of cases are fatal. As long as polio threateners even one child anywhere in the world, children everywhere are at risk. Only the global eradication of polio will ensure that no child ever again suffers its devastation effects.
Because of Rotary and its partners like the Bill Gates Foundation which matches all gifts 2-to-1, the world has seen a 99.9% drop in the number of polio cases. However, Crosby stressed that "the fight is not over and Rotarians around the world are working together recognizing that the 'Children of the World' are counting on each Rotarian and other generous donors." For more information on Rotary's goal of eradicating polio worldwide, please visit www.Rotary.org.
The Rotary Club of Castro Valley is currently providing hybrid meetings with both in-person luncheons at Redwood Canyon and online on Tuesdays at 12:00 p.m. Speakers and links to the meetings are posted at www.castrovalleyrotary.orgunder Upcoming Events. The Club welcomes individuals who want to make a positive impact locally, nationally, and internationally.
Pictures by Jim Negri, CV Rotary
