The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Presque Isle Rotary Club joined forces to host their third annual World Polio Day and Purple Pinkie Project celebration, and this year, with the help of the Rotary Clubs in Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Limestone and Washburn, the celebration spread throughout central Aroostook County.
A slate of activities took place through Sunday, Oct. 26 to celebrate World Polio Day, which took place Oct. 24. All activities were meant to raise awareness of Rotary International’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide and to raise money — $1 at a time — to go toward that global effort.
On Friday, Oct. 24, and during several other times throughout the week, organizers and volunteers “painted” the region purple when they presented the Purple Pinkie Project. For $1, volunteers colored pinkies purple to help raise money for polio eradication. A purple pinkie serves as a symbol for one polio immunization. Funds raised will go toward Rotary International’s End Polio Now efforts.
“We are so pleased to be presenting the third annual World Polio Day event for our community and sharing with everyone Rotary’s worldwide efforts to end polio now,” said Scott Violette, Presque Isle Rotary Club president.
Activities kicked off Saturday when the Fort Fairfield Rotary Club hosted a Purple Pinkie table during its 2014 Cash Draw event. On Oct. 20 and 22, Purple Pinkie tables were set up during the Presque Isle and Caribou Rotary Clubs’ respective weekly noontime meetings. On Thursday, Oct. 23, Presque Isle Rotarians were on hand when Presque Isle High School hosted a Purple Pinkie station in the morning, and when Presque Isle Middle School hosted one during lunchtime. A Purple Pinkie station was also set up for employees at MMG Insurance (staffed by UMPI Business Club members) Oct. 23.
In celebration of the official World Polio Day, which was on Friday, Oct. 24, Rotarians across central Aroostook County were wearing purple polo “polio” shirts to spread awareness of Rotary’s End Polio Now efforts. In addition, community members took part in the Purple Pinkie Project. Similar Purple Pinkie projects have been held by Rotary Clubs around the country, with people donating $1 to have their pinkies marked with the same purple dye used when Rotary International conducts polio immunizations. The estimated cost to immunize one child from polio is $1, and when each child gets immunized, Rotarians mark their pinkies with a topical purple dye to prevent double dosages.
Volunteers were on hand to color the pinkies of anyone willing to donate $1 toward Rotary International’s “End Polio Now” campaign (or get multiple digits painted for $1 each).
The Limestone Rotary Club’s 64th annual auction was held Oct. 24. Limestone Rotarians wore purple polo polio shirts and took time to raise awareness about Rotary International’s polio eradication efforts.
Activities wrapped up with one last Purple Pinkie table, being hosted by the Caribou Rotary Club, during the Caribou Craft Fair Oct. 25-26 at Caribou High School. The club not only hosted the table from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, but also displayed an iron lung on loan from Eastern Maine Medical Center.
“Having the iron lung there really drives home what polio does to children, which is why we’re doing this activity in the first place … to save children from this disease,” said Steve Mazerolle, who co-chairs Caribou’s Purple Pinkie Project with Mark Draper. “We encourage everyone to support Rotary International’s efforts to achieve polio eradication worldwide.”
One other Central Aroostook Rotary Club has looked for special ways to observe World Polio Day. The Washburn Rotary Club already held a “Skip-A-Meal” activity, with proceeds going to the Purple Pinkie Project, and had so much fun with it that the club intends to do it again soon. Washburn Rotarians also will be hosting Rodney and Barbara Leach to talk about their connection with the disease, as Barbara is a polio survivor. Rodney Leach shared the couple’s story during last year’s World Polio Day celebration.
This year’s activities carry on a tradition of raising many local dollars for, and even more awareness about, Rotary International’s efforts to eradicate polio. The first annual World Polio Day and Purple Pinkie Project event, held in October 2012, saw an estimated 1,000 people in the community participate and initially raised $1,250. An anonymous donation of $1,000, however, pushed the fund-raising total to well above $2,000. Last year’s event raised another $1,775 and saw an even greater number of community members take part.
Polio has not been seen in the U.S. for many years, but this is not the case in several developing countries. In 1985, Rotary International began raising funds in an effort to eliminate polio worldwide. By partnering with the World Health Organization and other government and private groups, Rotary International has achieved a 99 percent reduction of polio worldwide. However, there are still three countries where polio is endemic — Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. To completely wipe out polio, Rotary International is raising funds and mobilizing volunteers to bring immunization projects to these areas.
“We’re delighted to be collaborating with Rotary clubs in central Aroostook County, and with several other organizations in our community, to create greater awareness about polio and the worldwide efforts to eradicate it,” said UMPI President Linda Schott.
For more information, contact UMPI’s Community and Media Relations Office at 768-9452 or visit www.umpi. edu/worldpolioday.
