2nd Annual Washington Noon Rotary Polio Plus 10K Fundraiser is Sunday | Eastern NC Now

For Immediate Release

    The 2nd Annual Washington Noon Rotary Polio Plus 10K fundraiser is scheduled for this Sunday, March 27th at 1:00 p.m. The event benefits the Rotary International Polio Plus initiative.

    This 10K course runs along Washington's beautiful downtown waterfront and through Washington Park. The course is run entirely on pavement so consider coming out to break your PR! The run is followed by good food, drink and awards at Pirates Pub on the Washington Waterfront.

    Polio Plus has virtually eradicated polio worldwide with the exception of four countries that remain endemic. Washington Noon Rotary is working to ensure that children are immunized against this crippling disease and that surveillance is strong despite the poor infrastructure, extreme poverty and civil strife of many countries. Since the Polio Plus program's inception in 1985, more than 2 billion children have received the oral vaccine.

    Rotary's U.S. $200 Million Challenge is the Rotary Foundation's response to the two grants totaling $355 million by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help eradicate polio. Every dollar given to Polio Plus will count toward the $200 million match which must be completed by June 30th 2012.

    If this effort is not continued, and polio vaccines are not given by Rotary International, the United States would once again be endemic in one decade. Therefore, continuing with Rotary's efforts to eradicate polio is of most concern.

    To register for the race, visit www.ecrun.org. Registration fee is $30.00, pre-registration, mailed by March 21st and $35.00 after and on race day. Entry fee for youths 18 and under is $15. Entry fee includes a t-shirt to the first 150 10K racers.

    For more information contact Paige Harris with Washington Noon Rotary at paharris1@suddenlink.net, 252-945-5748.

    For more information please contact:

Pam Shadle, Director of Marketing, Public Relations and Development Phone: (252) 975-4134 Cell: (252) 945-3806 pshadle@brhealthsystem.org