23rd February is Purple Pinkie Day

Rotary’s pledge for a polio free world was made in 1985 when there were 125 polio endemic countries and hundreds of new cases every single day. Thanks to Rotary, and the support of our partners WHO, Unicef, CDC and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, there are now just three countries still classed as endemic: Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan. To finish the job over 2 billion doses of oral polio vaccine have to be administered each year in over 60 countries.
When a child is vaccinated, their little finger is painted purple, hence the name Purple Pinkie Day. With literally millions of children attending immunisation days, it is the only way to keep track of who has received their life saving medication.
We are very lucky that in this country the NHS provides vaccinations and polio has not been found on these shores for decades. There are overseas communities who are not so lucky and unless we finish the job polio can and will come back. Rotary firmly believes everyone is equally deserving of good healthcare.
This day we also celebrate World Rotary Day, the anniversary of the founding of Rotary and here in Nottingham, the centenary of the Rotary Club of Nottingham, serving the community for 100 years. We shall be joined at our celebration dinner at the Belfry Hotel by Ian Riseley, the President of Rotary International, together with Denis Spiller, President of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland, our District Governor Michael Longdon and we shall welcome the Lord Mayor of Nottingham Councillor Michael Edwards and the Sheriff Councillor Glyn Jenkins. On display there will be a working replica of an iron lung which was used to treat patients suffering polio and we will be displaying purple crocuses to remind everyone that we need to see this project to the end.

Nottingham Rotary club is part of a world-wide service organisation with 9 clubs across Nottingham. Its aim is to combine an active social life, friendship and business networking with service to the community at home and abroad.

It is open to men and women of all ages and backgrounds to join us as volunteers, members or both. You can use your time, talents, professional skills and energy to improve the lives of people in our local communities and around the world.

Rotary Club of Nottingham
Crowne Plaza Hotel,
Wollaton Street,
Nottingham NG1 5RH
United Kingdom

Press contact: Geof Bosworth

This release was published on openPR.