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Bill Hughes asked Tom Elken to share his experience with polio with the club so as to bring home the impact of this devastating disease. Tom contracted polio in 1955, the same year the Salk vaccine first became available. Tom recounted his memories of the 3 month hospital stay, the physical therapy which followed and devices to help him deal with the result of having a shorter, weaker right leg than his left. He had to live through some childhood ridicule, and a couple of surgeries to try to reduce the effects of the active polio episode. During his teens through his thirties, there were few noticeable effects of the disease as he participated in several intramural sports, but in his sixties, post-polio symptoms have resulted in increased weakness and occasional pain in his right leg, which may result in more mobility issues before long.
Please join Tom in your continuing contributions to Polio+ and "Change for a Change" to combat this insidious disease as long as it exists on our planet.
President Dave, Steve Long, Bob Dorr, Bill Ettlich, Greg Wood and Laurie Edwards delivered, “A Student’s Dictionary and Animal Gazette” to enthusiastic 3rd graders at Blue Oak School on November 12. Club members visited the classrooms to hand each student his/her personal dictionary with a label attached to the inside cover showing the student’s name and the Rotary 4-Way Test. 
October 24th was World Polio Day and our club marked the day as follows: 1) Dave Sargent recounted his experience of a few years ago when he traveled to India with fellow Rotarians to assist and witness the delivery of the vaccine to vulnerable children. He said that it was very moving to be at the front lines representing so many who have given so much to make the anti-polio campaign a reality. 2) Bill Hughes also spoke in his Polio+ shirt about the articles in the Rotarian magazine describing the impact of the disease in the lives of five Rotarians. He reminded us that Rotary's End Polio program started in 1979 in the Philippines. He also auctioned off a box of chocolates with the proceeds going to Polio+. The bidding, starting at $100 was spirited and won by Ulla Petersen at $300. Bill also described a form that will help members make one-time or ongoing gifts to the Rotary Polio+ project.
