SC's Rotary District 7770 Honored for Polio Campaign Donations
October 28, 2011
COLUMBIA, SC – October 27, 2011 – Rotarians in District 7770 –comprisedof Rotary Clubs in South Carolina’s 25 eastern counties – have earnedinternational recognition for donating nearly a million dollars in aglobal campaign to eradicate polio. The district includes 78 Rotaryclubs with a combined membership of approximately 5,000 men and women.
The honor was announced by Bob Scott, chairman of RotaryInternational’s Polio Plus Campaign, at a recent conference in Reston,VA, attended by service club leaders. Scott said District 7770 ranksnumber 13 in the world for contributions to the current campaign, givinga total of $990,563 as of June 30, 2011. Polio Plus began over 20years ago and is the most ambitious program in Rotary’s history. Duringthe initial Polio Plus drive in the late 1980’s, District 7770 raisedenough money to inoculate the nation of Peru.
Membersin more than 31,500 Rotary clubs located throughout the world areworking to raise $200 million in the current effort. Those funds willbe used to match $355 million in challenge grants received from the Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation.
The resulting $555 million will directly support immunization campaignsin developing countries, where polio continues to infect and paralyzechildren.
Polio Plus and its role in the initiative is recognized worldwide as amodel of public-private cooperation in pursuit of a humanitarian goal,Scott said. In addition to providing financial and volunteer aid,Rotary International works to get support from other public and privatepartners to rid the world of the crippling disease.
District 7770 leaders present for the latest recognition included Dr.Hal Salisbury of the Rotary Club of Daniel Island, who chairs thedistrict’s Polio Plus committee; district governor Paula Matthews,Rotary Club of Spring Valley; Lou Mello, district governor nominee,Rotary Club of Mt. Pleasant; Ed Duryea, district governor elect, RotaryClub of Sea Island Beaufort; and Anne Matthews, Rotary FoundationTrustee and Rotary International director nominee, Rotary Club ofColumbia East. Also present was Rocky Jacobs, Polio Plus chair forRotary Zone 33.
Pictured from left to right are Bob Scott, Lou Mello, Paula Matthews, Ed Duryea, Anne Matthews and Rocky Jacobs.
