We nowadays take for granted that Rotary is a well-respected and trusted partner of UNICEF and the CDC in its efforts to eradicate polio. And that level of trust is so high that as John LoBosco pointed out 2 weeks ago, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has chosen to partner with our Rotary Foundation. But 30 years ago public health leaders were very skeptical of both the feasibility of Rotary’s plans to wipe out polio in a country by country campaign, but also of its ability to bring real money to the table.
From Doing Good in the World, the Inspiring Story of the Rotary Foundation’s First 100 Years by David C. Forward
More than 16,000 Rotarians from every continent jammed into the Philadelphia Convention Center on May 24, 1988. While they enjoyed the entertainment and workshops and inspiring speakers, every single attendee had one question on his or her mind: “Did we make it?”
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