I'd Run 26.2 Miles to Prove It's Worth Every Penny

I am back from yet another marathon day of marathon. I was invited to the District Rotary Foundation brunch. This is essentially a yearly reminder from Rotarians to Rotarians that the hard work over the past year has been worth while and the hard work for the next year will be worth while, also. I looked around the room of 150 people and just kept thanking life for such generous people in this world. In a time when everyone seems to be fixated on the downward spiral that the economy is taking, the people in the room today were aware of the bigger picture. They knew that there are still people in this world, mostly children, who are in danger of contracting the crippling virus that is known as Polio. They know that the expense of eradicating Polio does not lie with the cost of the two drops of vaccine that is needed (a grand total of 30cents per person) but rather the very costly price of refrigeration for those vaccinations - particularly in 4 countries in the world where the average temperature falls above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. All the more reason to keep our goal of $20,000!!

A lovely woman from Lockport, New York spoke at this luncheon. She and her twin brother contracted Polio in the 50s. They both spent some time in an iron lung. She survived, her twin did not. After 61 hours of being admited to a hospital in Syracuse, New York, her brother died of Polio. This lady went on to speak about the physical therapy that she underwent to reverse the paralytic effects that polio had on her body. Looking at her today, one would never know that she overcame such odds to live the life that she has. She provided everyone with statistics that would frighten anyone into understanding the extreme importance of eradicating Polio worldwide. It made many of us rethink the complex debate that is still ongoing about the pros and cons of vaccinating children these days. I can honestly say that I would never wish this crippling disease on anyone. Eradication of Polio needs to be accomplished!

I recieved many promises of donations at today's luncheon. I handed out 150 donation envelopes, I hope they all come back with at least $5.00 each. However, I did recieve $325 in donations and pledges to count toward our goal. We are getting closer to that marathon and closer to our goal of raising $20,000 for the eradication of Polio.

I hope anyone who is readin this blog considers donating to our cause - it is worth it! I'd run 26.2 miles to prove it!