I've boarded planes, crossed continents, and stood alongside thousands of incredible Rotarians who believe what I believe — that no child should ever be paralysed by a virus we already know how to prevent. It costs just $3 USD to vaccinate a child. Three dollars. That's all it takes to protect a child for life.

Rotary International has been chasing polio to the ends of the earth for over 40 years. Together, we have reduced cases by more than 99.9%. That sounds like victory. But 0.1% is still too many. One overlooked village. One unvaccinated child. One outbreak. And the virus can spread faster than we imagine. The finish line is right in front of us — but we have to cross it together, and we have to cross it now.

When I visit a city, I carry something invisible with me. I carry the faces of the survivors I've met — children who will never run, adults who remember lying in an iron lung. I carry the relief of the mothers who watched Rotary workers arrive in their village with a cooler full of vaccines. I carry the determination of every doctor, every volunteer, every Rotarian who ever said “this disease ends on our watch.”

Polio left a scar on history. Right now, you have the power to make sure it leaves no more scars on children. Your donation — of any size — becomes part of something that has never been done before: the complete eradication of a human disease through collective will and collective generosity.

Years from now, your grandchildren will ask what you did.
Tell them you helped end polio.