By Alison Pannell
Rotary Club of Los Alamos

Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, several members of the Rotary Club of Los Alamos will be visiting your child’s school next week to raise awareness and funds for polio eradication efforts. The club encourages students to bring $1 or more to contribute to this vital cause.

For every dollar donated, students can have their pinkie finger painted with Gentian Violet, a safe and widely used topical dye, as a symbol of one child immunized against polio. This initiative highlights that just $1 can help protect a child from this preventable disease. If students donate more than $1, additional fingers can be painted.

Gentian Violet is used globally by Rotary International health aide workers to mark immunized children, preventing double dosages. Its safety has been confirmed by our Health Department and local pharmacists. While it is safe for use, please note that it will leave a vibrant purple stain on fingers for a day or two. To minimize any potential staining, we will carefully dip and dry the fingers with paper towels immediately after painting.

Our campaign is aimed at educating communities about the importance of vaccination and the ongoing efforts to eradicate poliomyelitis globally. Polio, once a leading cause of paralysis and death among children, has been nearly eradicated thanks to the tireless work of Rotary International, global health organizations, governments, and dedicated healthcare workers. The strides made over the past few decades have brought us closer than ever to achieving a Polio-free world.

Despite the progress, the battle against Polio is not over with new cases being reported this year in Gaza, Afghanistan & Pakistan. Vaccination remains critical to prevent outbreaks and protect future generations.

We encourage you and your children to help to make a difference in the fight against polio by supporting our Purple Pinkie Campaign in our schools with $1.