(Chelsea Update would like to thank Anne Nauts for the information in this story.)
Saturday Sept. 27 is a day of fun for dog lovers, with costumes, art, food, and prizes. Paws for Polio is a Rotary fundraiser to bring awareness to the community that polio has almost been wiped off the earth but not quite! You can help.
Rotary International is a local and global humanitarian organization celebrating a monumental milestone in its decades-long campaign to eradicate polio — a disease that once paralyzed more than 350,000 people each year, primarily children under the age of 5. The virus is spread person to person, often through contaminated water. There is no cure, but there is a safe and effective vaccine which Rotary and world partners have used to immunize over 2.5 billion children worldwide.
Only two countries remain endemic, and in 2025 there have only been a total of 28 cases of wild poliovirus. That’s a reduction of cases by 99.9% since 1985 when Rotary started the campaign called End Polio Now. Rotary says that until we end polio forever, every child is at risk. Polio is only a plane ride away.
Rotary has contributed over $2.1 billion to this cause and continues to raise funds and awareness to End Polio Now. Leading up to World Polio Day on Oct. 24 Rotary clubs in southeastern Michigan and across the globe will host events to educate the public and sustain momentum toward a polio-free world.
Chelsea Rotary asks if you can help by donating to Paws for Polio or bringing your dog for some fun on Saturday afternoon between 1:00 and 4:30. The address is Rotary Park in Livonia, 32184 6 Mile Road.
For more information visit www.endpolio.org or contact Anne Nauts at [email protected].
