Rick Patrick rick@greenepublishing.com
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, Clayton Hicks, Rotary District Governor, was in Madison to speak to the Madison Rotary Club. Hicks began by thanking the club for its support with disaster relief efforts following the recent hurricane that struck the western panhandle of Florida. Through the efforts of the Madison Rotary Club and other local Rotary Clubs, a trailer was set up to provide basic necessities, such as food, water and hygiene products for hundreds hit by the hurricane.
Hicks also spoke about the efforts of Rotary International to once and for all eradicate polio. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there has been a reduction of an estimated 350,000 cases worldwide, in 1988, to less than 50 cases worldwide in the last year. The WHO states that, of the three strands of wild polio, two have been eradicated, with only type one still remaining. According to the WHO, the two countries where wild poliovirus type one still exists are Pakistan and Afghanistan. Since polio is a highly infectious disease, vaccination is the one way to eradicate the disease. Rotary International, through its “Polio Plus” campaign, has been a leading partner in the fight to finish eradicating the disease. In order to help in this fight, Hicks has embarked on a fundraising campaign with his bicycle, with funds raised going to the Polio Plus campaign. Hicks stated that for every dollar raised, it will be matched by two dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Each polio vaccine costs approximately three dollars to administer. To help in this effort, please scan the QR code provided.
The Madison Rotary Club meets each Wednesday, at 12 p.m., at the Villa Maria Social Hall of the St. Vincent dePaul Catholic Church, located on Orange Avenue, across from Beggs Funeral Home, in Madison. Taking the Rotary motto, “service above self” to heart, the local Rotarians have supported many local service projects, ranging from providing books to local elementary schools to area disaster relief and more.