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Syracuse Celebrates World Polio Day Syracuse Celebrates World Polio Day

Disease close to being fully erradicated

By Jonathon Hoppe

(FOR SOME, POLIO IS JUST A DISEASE. FOR OTHERS IT’S MUCH MORE).

(“Coming from a history of rotarians, my whole family. My grandfather was heavily involved. He was a past district governor and a polio survivor. That really gets me excited.”)

DONNA OCCHIPINTI CELEBRATES HER GRANDFATHER’S LIFE BY FIGHTING TO END THE DISEASE THAT ONCE HARMED HIM. TODAY, SHE GATHERED WITH ROTARIANS FROM ACROSS THE CITY TO CELEBRATE WORLD POLIO DAY.

(“To really stand united with the front, with Polio and the Bill Gates Foundation to finally radicate that disease.”)

IN 1980, THERE WERE 350,000 CASES OF POLIO WORLDWIDE. SO FAR THIS YEAR, ONLY 18. THESE PEOPLE APART OF THE ROTARY CLUB ARE TRYING TO MAKE THAT GO DOWN TO ZERO (STANDUP),

AT THE EVENT, ROTARIANS AND GUESTS SPOKE OPENLY ABOUT THE DISEASE, WHILE ALSO GETTING TO HEAR FROM SURVIVORS. MEMORIES OF THE PAST KEEP MEMBERS MOTIVATED.

(“I remember when the swimming pools were closed I had close friends who came down with polio”)

THE DAY ENDED WITH A TRIP TO CITY HALL, WHERE SYRACUSE MAYOR BEN WALSH JOINED IN ON THE FIGHT AGAINST THE DISEASE.

(“Without further ado, I will hereby proclaim the 24th day of October, 2018 to be Rotary International World Polio Day in the city of Syracuse.”)

ROTARIANS HOPE THAT POLIO IS FULLY ERADICATED IN THE NEXT FIVE TO TEN YEARS.
REPORTING IN SYRACUSE, JONATHON HOPPE, N-C-C NEWS.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Most remember polio as a disease that threatened the world in the late 1900s. Back then, over 350,000 cases were discovered annually. So far this year, there have only been 18.

Members of the Rotary International Club and guests gathered downtown on Wednesday to continue the fight against the disease.

“Coming from a history of rotarians, my whole family. My grandfather was heavily involved. He was a past district governor and a polio survivor. That really gets me excited,” Dona Occhipinti said. 

Rotarians want to make sure you know there is still work to be done to fully eradicate polio. Current day, the only human disease that has been fully eradicated is small pox. Rotarians hope that polio will be added to that list in the next five to ten years. 

“It’s exciting to really stand united with the front, with polio and the Bill Gates Foundation to finally eradicate that disease,” Occhipinti added. 

After the main event, Rotarians gathered at City Hall where they were greeted by Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh. There, Walsh declared October 24, 2018 to be Rotary International World Polio Day in the city of Syracuse.

 

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