THANK YOU TO ANDOVER ROTARIANS FOR TAKING THE PLUNGE, AND FOR EVERYONE WHO DONATED TO HELP END POLIO!
February 9, 2019, Rotary District 7930 (eastern Massachusetts & southern New Hampshire) held its 9th Annual Polar Plunge to Eradicate Polio) in the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean at Long Beach in Gloucester at 11am.
All Polar Plunge donations are matched 2:1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. To learn more about Rotary’s fight to eradicate Polio, go to www.endpolio.org. The Polar Plunge was originally inspired, and has been continuously supported by the Rotary Club of Gloucester since 2011.
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Since 1985, Polio has become the signature cause for Rotary International as it has teamed up with partners including The Global Poverty Project, The Global Eradication Initiative, The World Health Organization, and UNICEF. Since that time, more than a billion dollars have been raised among Rotary clubs worldwide and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. When Rotary International took on the battle against this disease, more than 350,000 people spanning 125 countries were suffering from polio. Today, there are two countries awaiting eradication - Pakistan and Afghanistan. Nigeria marked a year without a new case just this past September and was removed from the endemic list.
This year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has again pledged a 2:1 match for every dollar Rotarians and friends raise toward eradication efforts. A 60-cents donation can make the difference in changing a person’s life. Please support Gloucester Rotarians as they brave the icy waters to help eradicate polio in our lifetime. The goal for the plunge is $125,000. Help Rotarians lead the way to eradicate this dreaded disease!