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.

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.