Sedona AZ (April 1, 2012) – Rotary clubs in Arizona and around the world are determined to do whatever it takes to achieve a world free of the crippling disease polio. A major part of that effort required raising $200 million to match a challenge grant of $355 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Through the combined efforts of the Gates Foundation and Rotary International Clubs worldwide, the goal of $355 million was reached in February 2012.
In recognition of Rotary’s commitment, the Gates Foundation contributed an additional $50 million resulting in a total of $605 million which will be spent in support of global immunization activities in polio-affected areas.
The Rotary Club of Sedona accepted the End Polio Now challenge by raising $4,000 through its annual Great Sedona Chili Cook-Off. The Chili Cook-Off will be held May 5, 2012, at the Tlaquepaque Cinco de Mayo Festival, Portal Lane and SR 179, Sedona Arizona.
Since launching its landmark End Polio Now program in 1985, Rotary International has contributed more than $800 million to the cause and countless volunteer hours logged by Rotary volunteers worldwide.
Although the polio epidemic may be a distant memory to many—cases have been slashed by 99% worldwide—it still threatens children in parts of Africa and South Asia. Indeed, for as little as 60 cents worth of oral polio vaccine, a child can be protected for life.
Rotary International’s worldwide membership of 1.2 million men and women—representing about 33,000 clubs in nearly 200 countries—has embraced the eradicate global polio effort by digging deeply into its own pockets, planning special fundraisers, and rallying community support.
The Sedona Eye and Rotary organizations worldwide invite everyone to learn more about this historic opportunity to end polio once and for all at www.rotary.org/endpolio and support the May 5, 2012, Great Sedona Chili Cook-off with a purchase and or a donation.
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More than 700 chili enthusiasts sampled varieties of chili prepared by twelve Sedona area restaurants at the annual Great Sedona Chili Cook-Off held today at Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village in Sedona.
Balloting for the People’s Choice Award was lively. The following restaurants were recognized:
People’s Choice Awards: El Rincon Restaurante Mexicano, Third Place; Bodacious Burgers, Second Place; and First Place People’s Choice Award: Oak Creek Brewery & Grill.
The prized Judges Trophy for Sedona’s Best Chili went to: Third Place, The Secret Garden Café; Second Place, Bodacious Burgers; and First Place Judges Trophy was won for a second year in a row by El Rincon Restaurante Mexicano.
An award for the best decorated booth was presented to Renegades Steakhouse.
The Great Sedona Chili Cook-Off is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sedona. Proceeds from the Cook-Off will benefit Rotary International’s effort to End Polio Now worldwide and the Rotary Club of Sedona’s newly launched Imagination Library program which provides free books for pre-school children. Read about the Rotary and its worldwide efforts to eradicate polio on this website – use search words “rotary chili” for a list of articles.
Polio, the worldwide killer and disabler of children and adults, is now preventable by vaccine and was on-track to be the second disease eradicated worldwide. Smallpox was the first disease eradicated by vaccine with no new cases reported since 1977.
As recently as 1988, there were approximately 350,000 cases of polio reported world wide, found in 125 countries.
An aggressive Polio eradication program led by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Center for Disease Control and Rotary International helped change that number drastically – only 650 cases reported worldwide.
This year 73 new cases have been reported by Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria – and the number is expected to rise. Ruling Islamist parties are disallowing polio and other vaccination programs to continue in Parkistan calling the vaccine programs CIA and American terrorism. UNICEF reports that Pakistan is one of the three countries where polio remains endemic, accounting for about 30 percent of the world’s polio cases. During 2011, the total number of cases reported was 198, up from 144 cases in 2010.