Rotary Club of Forres organises purple toy hunt, crocus plant, coffee morning and Tolbooth light-up to raise awareness of polio campaign
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A GROUP of local humanitarians are set to highlight worldwide efforts to eradicate a disease with the help of the community.
To raise awareness of Poliomyelitis – commonly known as polio – Forres Rotary has organised a series of events leading up to World Polio Day on Monday, October 24.
Rotary International has worked with the World Health Organisation as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help eradicate polio for over 30 years.
Forres Rotarian, Doreen McCaig, confirmed this year alone, 27 children around the world have been paralysed by polio – 19 in Pakistan, two in Afghanistan and six in Mozambique.
She said: “Last year, only six children were paralysed by polio so it is so important to continue this campaign.”
Polio is highly infectious. Mild symptoms include sore throat and fever,however, more severe symptoms can develop such as headache, neck stiffness, and even paresthesia.
Purple dye on the little finger is used the show that a child has received the polio vaccine so Doreen and her team have knitted purple cuddly toys to be displayed in 18 Forres shops between October 17 and 28. Each has a letter for participants to find and put together to make up a phrase about the polio campaign.
Forres Rotary secretary Sheena MacGillivray said: “We are very grateful to our local businesses for displaying the toys and End Polio campaign posters.”
Babalu owner Laura Hanson added: “I hope this campaign raises awareness that polio still exists but can be eradicated with support.”
RotaKids from Anderson’s, Dallas, Alves and Logie Primary Schools are learning about the disease and will be planting purple crocus corms. Rotary Forres will also donate crocus corms to the other Forres ASG schools.
A purple-themed coffee morning at the town hall will be held from 10am-noon on Saturday, October 15. All the money raised will go to the Rotary’s End Polio campaign.
And the Tolbooth will be lit up in purple from Friday, October 21, to Tuesday, October 25.
Forres Heritage Trust’s Bob James said: “The Tolbooth is the focal point at the centre of town, so very visible to everyone.
“We are keen to promote the town and this lighting is a way of demonstrating support for groups like Rotary.
“Our new lights are still to be fitted but there will be temporary floodlights around the clock face for this event.
“The lights will be on for about four hours-a-night and the total cost of electricity for the four days is about £1 as they are LEDs.”
