The director of the worldwide humanitarian organisation Rotary International Gordon McInally made a splash at the Loony Dook this year and helped to raise £4,000 towards efforts to stamp out polio for good.
Home-grown Gordon, from South Queensferry, was amongst hundreds of brave souls who dived into the icy waters of the River Forth on 1st January, despite an air temperature of -2C.
He said he was overwhelmed and humbled with the amount raised thanks to the generosity of friends, family and rotary members. The £4,000 will go towards Rotary’s $100 Million Gates Challenge to help End Polio Now.
"Having made a personal donation to the campaign, I was anxious to do something more and to find a personal challenge that might attract further donations to the campaign as well as raising awareness among non-Rotarians" says Gordon.
"Realising my marathon running or sky diving days are probably behind me I decided to take part in the appropriately named annual Loony Dook sponsored swim which takes place each year in our home town"
“Every pound will make a difference and will mean Rotary is one step closer to eradicating the horrendous disease from the face of the earth forever”.
This world-famous Loony Dook event, which first took place on 1 January 1987, involves what is now a huge number of people, many in fancy dress, aged from 8 to 80 taking a plunge in the River Forth in the shadow of the famous Bridges. From small beginnings, with only a handful of “dookers”, this year there were over 500 participants and approaching 4000 spectators from literally all over the world.
Whilst hitting the freezing waters of the River Forth is quite a shock to the system, it’s worse coming out into the freezing cold air, although Gordon was encouraged by the fact that his wife, Heather was standing by with towels and hot soup to revive him having photographed the event for posterity!
You can still sponsor Gordon by visiting his online fundraising page on www.justgiving.com/gordon_mcinally. You can pay by credit or debit card. Where supporters are UK taxpayers, the $100 Million Challenge will automatically receive 28% extra in Gift Aid, which makes Justgiving the most efficient sponsorship method.
Since Rotary first became involved in polio eradication in 1985, polio cases have fallen from 350,000 a year to 1,000; 125 endemic countries has been reduced to just four; Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan and two billion children have been protected from the disease. Rotary members have to date raised £376 million ($700 million) to fund polio immunization activities.
Members are currently raising money for Rotary’s $100 Million Gates Challenge – to match a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of US $100 Million that Rotary.
In 1988 the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, UNICEF, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) forged the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to eradicate polio as a global imperative.
If polio isn’t eradicated, the world will continue to live under the threat of the disease. More than 10 million children could be paralysed in the next 40 years if the world fails to capitalise on its US$4 billion global investment in eradication.
For further information and photos on Rotary’s Polio Eradication campaign please look at www.rotary.org/endpolio.
06/01/09
