World Polio Day
"Keeping Our Promise to the Children of the World"
Eradicating polio has been a major goal of Rotary International for the past several decades. In 1988, Rotary joined in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to form the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
When this project launched, there were 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries every year. Last year, the number of cases of the wild poliovirus was down to just a handful in two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent. That’s the good news. The bad news is that polio cases have increased to 19 in Afghanistan and 17 in Pakistan this year.
Laura Kahn began her Rotary journey when she joined the Rotary Club of Dunwoody on September 24, 2004, having been proposed and sponsored by Marion Bunch. She resigned from the Club on June 30, 2018. The Rotary Club of Dunwoody elected Laura to honorary membership in 2018.
Laura is now a very active member of the Rotary Club of Princeton, Illinois which she joined July 1, 2018. The Princeton Club is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2020. Laura serves on the Board of Directors and is also chair of the annual Rotary Auction for the club’s centennial year in 2020. In addition, she serves on the 100th Anniversary Committee, the Community Service Committee, and the Rotary Foundation Committee.
Both Laura and her husband Charles (Wick) Warren worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Upon Wick’s retirement in December 2014, they moved from Decatur, Georgia to Princeton, Illinois to be near Laura’s mother and father. Soon after moving to Princeton in November 2014, Laura’s father, Douglas Kann, passed away in March of 2015. Douglas was a member of the Rotary Club of Princeton for over 40 years.
Laura currently serves as the Zone 29 Polio chair and her duties include speaking to local clubs to make sure we continue to support Polio Plus so we can eliminate this disease from the last two countries in the world.
This will also be an excellent opportunity to bring a guest or prospective member so that they can learn about Rotary.
Laura is now a very active member of the Rotary Club of Princeton, Illinois which she joined July 1, 2018. The Princeton Club is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2020. Laura serves on the Board of Directors and is also chair of the annual Rotary Auction for the club’s centennial year in 2020. In addition, she serves on the 100th Anniversary Committee, the Community Service Committee, and the Rotary Foundation Committee.
Both Laura and her husband Charles (Wick) Warren worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Upon Wick’s retirement in December 2014, they moved from Decatur, Georgia to Princeton, Illinois to be near Laura’s mother and father. Soon after moving to Princeton in November 2014, Laura’s father, Douglas Kann, passed away in March of 2015. Douglas was a member of the Rotary Club of Princeton for over 40 years.
Laura currently serves as the Zone 29 Polio chair and her duties include speaking to local clubs to make sure we continue to support Polio Plus so we can eliminate this disease from the last two countries in the world.
This will also be an excellent opportunity to bring a guest or prospective member so that they can learn about Rotary.
President Mike will introduce our presenter and act as Rotary Host.