We don’t hear much about polio these days - because it’s not a problem in our country, but that’s not the case for many developing countries! World Polio Day is on Wednesday, October 24th, and here is how you can get involved.

Purple Pinkie Project
Purple Pinkie Project
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University of Maine at Presque Isle and Presque Isle Rotary Club are celebrating World Polio Day with their Purple Pinkie Project. The two organizations are joining forces to raise awareness and funds to end polio around the world.

By painting your pinky purple for $1 you can help the cause too. On Wednesday, volunteers will be on hand at the campus, painting pinkies between the hours of 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The funds raised will go toward polio eradication.

‘We’re delighted to be collaborating with the Presque Isle Rotary Club, and with several other organizations in our community, to create greater awareness about polio and the worldwide efforts to eradicate it,” UMPI President Linda Schott said. “Many of our students, faculty, staff, and community partners are working very hard to put this event together and we look forward to seeing many purple pinkies out in the community on Oct. 24.’

Polio is a viral, infectious disease spread from person to person. It can cause different types of paralysis depending on which nerves are affected.

Today it costs about $1 to immunize one child. When a child receives the immunization volunteers mark his/her finger purple to prevent double dosages.

‘We hope our Purple Pinkie Project will serve as a great reminder, long after each individual’s donation, of the real difference they’re helping us to make,” said Tim Doak, who is co-chairing the event with fellow Presque Isle Rotarian Rachel Rice. “By partnering with us, each of them becomes a part of the solution to polio, and their purple pinkie will be their own personal reminder of one more child saved from the polio virus.’

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