The Rotary Club recently raised $2,000, to be matched two to one by the Gates Foundation, at the Pints for Polio event to support global eradication. The club also welcomed guest speaker John Hutcherson, former Fredericksburg Morning Rotary president and past District 5840 governor, on Nov. 12 to share insights on Rotary’s efforts to vaccinate children in developing countries.
Hutcherson supports Rotary’s global polio eradication efforts, volunteering with his wife Judy to administer vaccines to children in India and Pakistan. He’s also an avid cyclist, completing 100-mile rides to raise funds and awareness to end polio.
“Polio is the signature program for Rotary International and has been the signature program for Rotary International since 1985,” Hutcherson said. “At that time, in 1985, 350,000 new cases of polio were happening annually around the world. Right now, we have 38 new cases of polio in the world, or the wild polio virus in the world. Six of those cases are in Afghanistan, and the balance are in Pakistan. And these cases of polio are confined to areas that are very remote and very difficult to get to.”
Although significant progress has been made, Rotary remains unwavering in its commitment to continue its work until polio is eliminated everywhere in the world.
“India became polio free in 2013 because they worked really, really, really hard at it for a very, very, very long time,” Hutcherson said. “Many other countries in the world have done the same thing, but as long as the wild polio virus is still flourishing in Pakistan and Afghanistan, we continue to give drops to immunization programs all over the world.”
Hutcherson also discussed the Rotary Foundation and opportunities to donate as he is the District 5840 Rotary Foundation Chair for Endowments and Major Gifts. The Rotary Foundation funds humanitarian projects around the world to promote peace, health, education, economic development and the environment, according to a press release.
“Most of the money from these areas of focus for the Rotary Foundation goes into disease prevention and treatment and the second is water and sanitation,” Hutcherson said. “If you look at areas around the world where people have safe water, the disease, the infant mortality and maternal mortality [rate is lower]. Health is much better if you have safe water.”
Members that want to support a specific project have the option to do so.
“You could also set up an endowment fund where you say, ‘My favorite part of the Rotary Foundation is the water project, and I want to support water projects in Mexico, in Texas, in Malawi, and wherever I want to support that,’” Hutcherson said. “You can make a gift to the Rotary Foundation where the proceeds will go to water projects. You can either designate the project or have the Rotary Foundation designate the project.”
Hutcherson said the Rotary Club of San Marcos has contributed $244,562 to the Rotary Foundation, has five major donor members, 52 contributing members and 55 Paul Harris fellows, which are individuals that contribute $1,000 or more a year.
Daily Record photos by Shannon West. Rotary Club of San Marcos raised $2,000 during its Pints for Polio event. The funds will go towards the club’s mission of eradicating Polio worldwide.
