A symbol: The colour purple...

Thursday, October 24, is an important day throughout the world. It is World End Polio Day and Rotary intends to spotlight the fight to end this terrible disease for ever.

Purple is sometimes associated with royalty or spirituality. For Rotarians purple symbolises our polio eradication campaign as it is the colour painted on the children’s fingers to show they have been immunised.

On World End Polio Day many buildings throughout the world will be illuminated with purple light. Purple crocuses will be planted and imitation crocus flowers offered for sale. This year, our City Council has agreed for the decorative lights in Bridge Street to be switched on and coloured purple. Why not make a visit. Spend a few minutes to see Peterborough in a different light and remember the work being undertaken by Rotary International and clubs in this area.

The church in Ramsey will also be bathed in purple light. Earlier this year the campaign was illuminated on Tower Bridge.

You may be too young to remember people of all ages in iron lungs, not only overseas but in the United Kingdom. Some who contracted polio were unable to walk without special fittings on their legs.

Since 1985, Rotary has been leading the immunisation campaign. However, there are still two countries which are not polio free, Afghanistan and Pakistan. These countries have for a long time been subject to warfare hindering vital action. Until there are no reports of the disease for three years, the World Health Organisation cannot declare the world to be polio free.

The Philippines recently reported its first case of polio in almost two decades, prompting health authorities to declare an epidemic and mount a mass immunisation drive.

This proves that polio can strike again anywhere, unless people continue to have the drops.

Ortons Rotary had a novel way of raising money towards polio eradication. They offered people the chance to sponsor pigeons in a race back to Peterborough. There were prizes of £200, £100 and £50 for sponsors of the first three home. This initiative raised just over £400, rounded up to £500 by a donation from the first prizewinner.

As the Bill Gates Foundation adds two dollars to every dollar raised by Rotary (a member of his family had the disease) the amount will be increased to £1,500.