The international campaign, 'Polio - the final push', initiated by Rotary International and the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation has received a substantial boost from a north Norfolk Rotary Club.

The international campaign, 'Polio - the final push', initiated by Rotary International and the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation has received a substantial boost from a north Norfolk Rotary Club.

Cromer and Sheringham Rotary Club has handed over a cheque for �3,000 to the Rotary Foundation Officer for East Anglia. It is one of the largest individual donations made a Norfolk Rotary Club to this humanitarian campaign and represents the proceeds from last September's Carlo Curley charity concert in Cromer.

In November, 2007, The Gates Foundation offered a grant of $100 million for polio eradication, provided Rotary world-wide could match this dollar for dollar. Rotary took up the challenge and by January of this year had raised $60 million. Bill Gates was so impressed with this enthusiasm and commitment that, only four weeks ago, he offered to donate a further $255 million if Rotary could match this with $200 million! Now, Rotary Clubs throughout the world are busy organising activities and fund-raising events to raise the money.

'This is the largest single donation we have made', said John Dunsire, Cromer and Sheringham's Foundation Officer. 'But the Gates challenge is huge incentive and we are so near to eradicating polio completely. If we can finish the task it will be a tremendous achievement'.

A team of Norfolk Rotarians left this Friday for India and will spend time assisting with the National Immunisation Day in March giving children polio vaccinations. Among the team is Guy Boocock from Cromer, a member of Norwich Rotaract and the son Rotarian Jill Boocock.

Caption:

Joe Floyd (centre), President of Cromer and Sheringham Rotary Club about to present the cheque for �3,000 to Hugh Davies (right), Rotary Foundation Officer for East Anglia. On left is Rotarian Harry Reed, co-ordinator of the charity concert