3rd Annual Pints for Polio

 

In 2019 the two local Rotary clubs worked together with Stormcloud Brewing Company to launch Pints for Polio, during Frankfort’s Beer Week.  In 2020 the event was expanded to two weeks while bringing Five Shores Brewing and St Ambrose Cellars on board. 2021 sees us add The Cabbage Shed to the team.  Thanks to the generosity of owners Rick Schmidt, Tony & Beth Roethler, Matt Demorest, Oliver Roberts, and Kirk Jones, they will be contributing a portion of the proceeds of every pint of beer or mead sold during their respective weeks from September 25th – October 9^th.

 

The amount donated will be matched by the Frankfort Rotary and Benzie Sunrise Rotary Clubs.  That total will be further matched 2:1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  Last year almost $8000 was raised.  “With the expansion of this project, we’re excited at the potential to raise even more for such an important cause,” said Kim Simon, President of the Benzie Sunrise Rotary Club.  

 

Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a paralyzing and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in some parts of the world. Poliovirus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in hours. It can strike people of any age but mainly affects children under five. Polio can be prevented by vaccines, but it is not curable. Unlike most diseases, polio can be eradicated.

 

When Rotary and its partners formed the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, there were 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries every year. Today, we have reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent, and just two countries continue to report cases of wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Because of the efforts of Rotary and its partners, nearly 19 million people who would otherwise have been paralyzed are walking, and more than 1.5 million people are alive who would otherwise have died. The infrastructure we helped build to end polio is also being used to treat and prevent other diseases (including COVID-19) and create lasting impact in other areas of public health.

 

Rotary and our partners have made tremendous progress against polio, but eliminating all cases is going to take even more progress and perseverance. Afghanistan and Pakistan face unique challenges, including political insecurity, highly mobile populations, difficult terrain, and, in some instances, vaccine refusal and misinformation. With sufficient resources, the commitment of national governments, and innovations that improve access to remote areas, we are optimistic that we can eliminate polio.

 

Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who unite and take action to create lasting change in communities around the globe. For more than 110 years, Rotary’s people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to improve lives through service. From promoting literacy and peace to providing clean water and improving health care, Rotary members are always working to better the world. Visit endpolio.org to learn more about Rotary and the fight to eradicate polio.