March to End Polio Now / Rise Against Hunger

As part of a 2:1 challenge grant with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, SMHS and HMS Service Clubs and ASBs as well as Carver Pioneers and Valentine Vikings invite the community to participate in an All Community Walk on Friday, April 14 from 3:30-5:00 at the Huntington Middle School track. Then join us in the HMS Cafe as we package 10,152 meals as we Rise Against Hunger. A pre-registration donation of $20 made payable to San Marino Rotary Charities by Thursday, March 30 assures you a memorable afternoon and evening with our community’s children—all of whom are well fed and polio free. Download a registration form or contact HMS Rotary Interact Advisor, Denise Wadsworth, at dwadsworth@smusd.us or (626-434-6646) to reserve your space.

Since the launch of Rise Against Hunger’s meal packaging program in 2005, Rotarians have packaged over 30 million meals for distribution to the world’s most vulnerable, mobilizing the necessary resources to end hunger by 2030.

In 1985, Rotary launched its PolioPlus program, the first initiative to tackle global polio eradication through the mass vaccination of children. Rotary has contributed more than $1.5 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunize more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries. The disease remains endemic in only three countries – Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan — although other countries remain at risk for imported cases.

A highly infectious disease, polio causes paralysis and is sometimes fatal. As there is no cure, the best protection is prevention. For as little 85 cents worth of vaccine, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life. After an international investment of more than US$9 billion, and the successful engagement of over 200 countries and 20 million volunteers, polio could be the first human disease of the 21st century to be eradicated.