join donate
About Rotary
Get Involved
Our Causes
Our Projects
News & Media
Events

Polio

World Polio Day 2018 – Best of Social Media

World Polio Day 2018 – Best of Social Media

To mark World Polio Day, millions of Rotary members, campaigners, vaccinators, supporters and volunteers came together to celebrate and made quite an impact on social media.

By James Bolton
Published Date: October 25, 2018
By James Bolton
Published Date: October 25, 2018

Since pioneering the campaign to End Polio Now over 30 years ago, Rotary has connected volunteers and organisations from around the globe to get behind the cause and the same was true on this year’s World Polio Day across social media.

30 years of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative

Rotary International hosted their 6th annual World Polio Day live event, streamed around the world on social media from the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, known as the birthplace of American medicine.

This year’s event marked the 30th anniversary of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the international partnership between Rotary International, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Thousands tuned in live, but you can catch up on the discussion below.

Light it up

One of the best ways to make a splash on World Polio Day is by showing your message loud and proud. Check out some of the best End Polio illuminations from around the world.

Rotary in Missouri, USA

Rotary in Devon and Cornwall

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rotary District 1175 (@rotary1175) on

Rotary in Bangor light up the Menai Strait

Rotary in Melbourne, Australia

Purple plantings

This year Rotary clubs in Great Britain and Ireland planted over 2.5 million purple crocus corms, which will flower next spring.

The purple crocus has become a recognised symbol of polio as it represents the purple dye painted onto a child’s finger once they have been vaccinated.

https://twitter.com/WV_Ranger_Becky/status/1055063908740984832

Passionate partners

The progress the world has made so far wouldn’t be possible without a strong network of NGO, governmental and private sector partners.

https://twitter.com/michelzaffran/status/1054989294966919168

Purple4Polio Ambassadors show their support

We’re incredibly thankful for the awareness our Rotary Purple4Polio Ambassadors raise – including on social media!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

What a fine looking baby!! So this was me at 6 months. With feet as big as that my potential was endless! 😂🤦🏾‍♂️ At 15 months my life and that of my families changed completely. Just before I was due to get my final dose of the polio vaccine I contracted the debilitating disease that caused paralysis in my left leg and impaired the left side of my body! Yet I know I’m one of the lucky ones. My parents cobbled together their savings borrowed from friends and family and used the money to move to East London. The rest as they say is #history For the not so lucky children who have contracted polio in my lifetime living in developing countries many have been forced to live in poverty, been abused not given access to education, and abandoned by their families because they contracted a disease through no fault of their own that the world should’ve got rid of long ago. Please help us become the generation that finally puts an end to polio and creates a better world for our children and our children’s children. 🙏🏾 @unicef_uk @easyjet #endpolionow #worldpolioday #changetheworld @rotaryinternational @rotarygbi #vaccines

A post shared by Ade Adepitan MBE (@adeadepitan) on

History in the making

Help Rotary make the final steps to eradicating the polio from the world.

Donate

Recommended

Rotary comes together for World Polio Day 2023

24th October saw Rotarians from around the world celebrating World Polio Day, marking another year that the world comes closer to eradicating poliovirus.

Polio
Polio

Derbyshire Rotarian rocks new haircut for World Polio Day

The Belper & Duffield Rotarian chose a hairstyle that matched purple crocuses, a symbol of Rotary’s continued efforts to eradicate polio.

Polio
Polio

New fundraising partnership set to raise hundreds of millions towards eradicating polio

The financial partnership, which includes the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), is aiming to ensure nearly 370 million children a year receive polio vaccinations.

Polio
Polio

Rotary comes together for World Polio Day 2023

Polio

Derbyshire Rotarian rocks new haircut for World Polio Day

Polio

Rotary comes together for World Polio Day 2023

Polio

Rotary Resources