Polar Plunge 2017

Rotary District 7930 will hold its 6th annual Polar Plunge on Saturday, February 4th, at Long Beach in Gloucester at 11:15 am. The event is part of Rotary International’s ongoing campaign to eradicate polio in our lifetime.

Since 1985, Polio has become the signature cause for Rotary International as it has teamed up with partners including The Global Poverty Project, The Global Eradication Initiative, The World Health Organization, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Since that time, more than a billion dollars have been raised among Rotary clubs worldwide and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. When Rotary International took on the battle against this disease, more than 350,000 people spanning 125 countries were impacted. Today there are three countries left where it has not been eradicated: Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.

This year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has again pledged a 2:1 match for every dollar Rotarians raise toward eradication efforts (up to $35 million/year until 2018). For as little as $0.60, a donation can make the difference in changing a person’s life. Please support your local Rotarians as they plunge into the icy waters off Gloucester to help eradicate polio in our lifetime.  Reading Rotary hopes to raise $5,000 toward the District’s goal of raising $125,000.  We are using an electronic fundraising process. Please to log on to the Reading Rotary Page and make a pledge to help Rotarians lead the way to eradicate this dreaded disease.