Today's program featured a presentation by past President Gordon Slack on the history of polio and Rotary International's decades-long commitment to eradicating the disease worldwide.
Susan Antel shared a moving firsthand account of contracting polio at age five, describing her hospital experiences and the hot compress treatments she endured. Although fortunate to have avoided an iron lung, Susan spoke about the lasting effects of polio, including post-polio symptoms she experiences as she ages.
Together, their presentations offered a powerful reminder of why Rotary's mission to End Polio Now remains so important.
Consider making a donation to Rotary's PolioPlus Fund. Every contribution brings us closer to a polio-free world.
Donate here: Rotary International – End Polio Now. Please record your Rotary member ID number when giving donations of any kind through Rotary. You can find your ID number on the mailing label of the Rotary magazine or click here to find it.
Sister Elizabeth Kenny (20 September 1880 – 30 November 1952) was a self-trained Australian bush nurse who developed an novel approach to treating polio. Though controversial at the time, as it went against immobilisation recommendations, her principles of muscle rehabilitation became the foundation of physical therapy or physiotherapy in such cases. Her method, promoted internationally while working in Australia, Europe and the United States, differed from the conventional one of placing affected limbs in plaster casts. Instead, she applied hot compresses, followed by passive movement of the areas to reduce what she called "spasm". Even an initially hostile medical community "had to acknowledge" that Sister Elizabeth Kenny's polio treatment helped thousands of children all over the world.
The Jindalee Rotary Club in Australia built a museum in her honor. Click here to read about it.
Sunrise Rotary Club has been invited to a special BAM coffee and conversation with students on November 4th at 10am.
The student-run coffee shop operates out of the Estes Park high school's Business and Marketing (BAM) class, giving students real-world, hands-on experience running an entrepreneurial business
We will have to first report to the office in the high school lobby to sign in and get badges, so plan on getting there about 15 minutes early and make sure to have an ID of some sort with you.
Estes Park rotary club directories (Noon and sunrise)
To help strengthen communication and collaboration between our two Estes Park Rotary clubs, Sunrise and Noon Rotary have agreed to exchange member directories. This will make it easier for us to connect with one another, coordinate activities, and work together when needed.
