How pizza can help eradicate polio

ELORA – Three little words can help eradicate polio: “Pizza for Polio.”

Say that when ordering a pizza at Vito’s Pizzeria in Elora the week of Oct. 21 to 27 and 50 per cent of the sale will be donated to the Fergus-Elora Rotary Club and its End Polio campaign.

Oct. 24 is World Polio Day, which is dear to the hearts of Rotarians, who have partnered since 1985 with Rotary International, the World Health Organization and the Gates Foundation on their mission to eradicate polio around the world.

They are very nearly there, said campaign chair Rob Galloway.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the two countries in the world where it’s been difficult to vaccinate children. Galloway said about 30 children have contracted polio in those countries in recent years.

And now with the war in Gaza, Galloway said Rotary International, the WHO and the Gates Foundation managed to get a “pause” in fighting on two occasions to vaccinate children there – on Sept. 1 and Oct. 14.

They managed to vaccinate 650,000 children.

There is no cure for polio, a paralyzing and potentially deadly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under age five.

The vaccine prevents children from getting the disease, which is why the program is so important, Galloway said.

In Canada and most western countries, polio is part of the regular childhood vaccine schedule. You only need to be vaccinated once for life-long protection.

Vito’s Pizzeria has agreed to participate in this fundraiser for the second year. All you have to do is purchase a pizza and let the server know it’s for the End Polio campaign.

The Gates Foundation will match all Rotary donations times two. Last year the club raised about $5,000; those matching dollars raised the amount to $15,000.

Not interested in pizza? You can also donate directly at endpol.io/give.

Vito’s is located at 58 Wellington Road 7, Unit 5, in Elora.