Photos by Alex Dorrens
Buildings throughout Scotland were lit up this week with the Rotary wheel and the message ‘end polio now’ in a bid to highlight Rotary’s campaign to eradicate polio.
Passersby were astounded to see The City Chambers in Glasgow, Culzean Castle in Ayrshire and the Municipal Buildings in Greenock all lit up throughout the week.
[IMG: 387 height=”270″ alt=”Glasgow Council Chambers lit up for Polio” width=”315″ align=”left” border=”0″][IMG: 389 height=”270″ alt=”Greenock Municipal building” width=”199″ align=”bottom” border=”0″]
Catherine Stewart, District Governor of Rotary in the west of Scotland, said: "Last year Rotary lit up the Houses of Parliament and this year we are going one step further by lighting up Sydney Opera House, the Coliseum in Rome and other important buildings throughout the world.
"We decided in Scotland that we would send out the message in our own country which is why we are lighting up the three well known Glasgow buildings. As Rotarians we are committed to ending polio now."
Rotary International has raised 800 million dollars since 1986 to eradicate the killer disease. In 1986 when Rotary International started its campaign there were more than 340,000 cases a year throughout the world. Because of Rotary’s campaign with other agencies that number is now down to less than 2000. Polio can now only be found in four countries: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Rotary International have committed themselves to raising 130 million dollars which will take their contribution to over a billion dollars.
Two weeks ago Bill Gates donated $250 million to Rotary’s campaign. The British government donated $150 million dollars and the German government $130 million dollars.
20/02/09
