October 24th is World Polio Day and for the 10th year running the Rotary Club of The City of Wolverhampton planted 4000 purple crocus bulbs in Bantock Park. The Mayor Councillor Craig Collingswood, MP Warinder Juss, and children from Pine Green Academy, Merridale Primary and Low Hill Infants schools and other community volunteer groups gave us great support. By purchasing the bulbs we have contributed to Rotary International’s campaign to eliminate polio, and the planting helps to raise public awareness by coverage on social media and in the press. The purple crocus is the campaign emblem.

The children had great fun stamping down the turf after the Rotarians and volunteers had lifted the turf!

40 years ago Rotary International embarked on a campaign to eliminate the scourge of polio from the world. We formed a partnership with the Gates Foundation and the World Health Organisation. The Gates Foundation donates $2US for every $1 we raise to purchase the vaccines and to fund the infrastructure as we continue to vaccinate children in the third world.

When the campaign started, there were 1000 new cases of polio every day in every country in the world. As a result of the campaign, India and Africa have now been declared polio free and this year to date there have only been 30 new cases in Pakistan; we are aware that there are a low number of new cases in Aghanistan, but Rotary and its partners are determined to carry on until the disease is eliminated completely. Details of the campaign can be found at the Rotary EndPolio websites.

Photographs by Carol Bailey Photography. Consent to publish the children’s photos obtained.

PDG Richard Green