Editor: On behalf of the organizing committee of the 23rd annual Pot of Gold Charity Golf Tournament, I would like to thank your newspaper and your staff for your efforts to promote our event for many years as our print media sponsor. And thanks to Record reporter Theresa McManus for her article in the July 12 edition about the tournament and the programs supported by the beneficiaries, including the youth programs of the local Royal City Rotary Club, Rotary Club of New Westminster, Salvation Army and Lower Mainland Purpose Society.
However, I have heard before that I mumble. Many times. I guess I now have to admit that I do. Ms. McManus interviewed me via telephone and reported on the success of Rotary’s efforts to eliminate polio from the planet. She stated that the incidence of polio worldwide has been reduced from 350,000 in the mid-1980s to 100,000 annually. Actually, the reduction has been much more dramatic, to less than 100 in 2017. And there are only 26 cases reported year to date for 2018.
It has been a 35-plus year campaign of immunization of children started by Rotary. In the developing nations, many children would die from the polio virus, and if they didn’t die they were crippled and experienced a profound loss of opportunity: to get an education, or to get employment, or to have a family. Rotary and its partners are so close to eradicating polio from the world. If you would like more information, or to find ways to support the campaign, feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Rick Molstad, New Westminster
