Rotarians and friends came together for an evening of fun and to support Rotary’s efforts to End Polio Now. At the Courtyard Marriott in Shelton, The Bare Slate held a workshop where participants stained, stenciled and dabbed to produce individual projects. With complimentary wine and snacks, tea cup raffles and fellowship, money was raised to help the End Polio Now Initiative of Rotary International.
When Rotary began its Polio Eradication Program in 1988, there were 350,000 cases of wild polio in 125 countries. Since then, the global burden of polio has been reduced by 99.9%.
Eradication efforts have successfully wiped out two of the three wild poliovirus strains. In February 2026, the World Health Organization reported that wild polio cases in Afghanistan and Pakistan had fallen to 41 cases across 24 districts. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only remining polio endemic countries where insecurity continues to hamper efforts to reach all children.
The Initiative vaccinates millions of children multiple times annually. Every year more than 650,000 children are spared lifelong paralysis thanks to continued polio eradication efforts. With fundraisers like this, we continue our efforts and are almost there.
Polio anywhere is a risk everywhere. Together…we End Polio Now
