Donald Schiller and his wife, Annette, were the keynote speakers at the Nov. 24 meeting of the Sierra Vista Rotary Club. Schiller explained how Rotary is working to eradicate polio around the world through its Polio Plus Program.
This is the most ambitious program in Rotary’s history. For more than 20 years, Rotary has led the private sector in the global effort to rid the world of this crippling disease. Progress is being made. The World Health Organization projected that the Type 1 polio virus will be interrupted this year and that Type 3 virus will be interrupted in 2009.
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Schiller is part of a group of Rotarians from Arizona and California who on one weekend each February travel to Caborca to administer polio vaccine to children less than 5 years of age. The dose is given orally, two drops for each child.
“Putting polio drops into a child’s mouth makes you a Rotarian,” Schiller said.
The group cooperates with the Rotary Club of Caborca to work in surrounding areas targeting farm worker families. More than 400 children received the vaccine last February.
Schiller, whose home club is the Prescott Sun-up Rotary Club, is a past district governor and recipient of the prestigious Rotary “Service above Self Award.” His group of Rotarians will be expanding their polio eradication efforts in 2009 by reaching needy families in as Hermosillo well as in Caborca.
In other club business, Rotarian Nancy Montgomery introduced the Student of the Month, Alicia Ash, a senior at Buena High School. Ash takes pride in her community and serves on the Sierra Vista Youth Commission. The commission advises the City Council on youth related issues, as well as offering support for community events. Ash’s parents, Timothy and Debra Ash, accompanied her at the meeting.
The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista meets at noon each Monday at the Pueblo del Sol Country Club. For information, call John Spengler at 458-1638 or visit www.rotarysv.org.
