We had an amazing October, highlighted by our activities and accomplishments leading up to World Polio Day. Through the efforts of Bob Stuart and a colleague, in September, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a proclamation (image below) making October 24, 2026 World Polio Day in Illinois. We provide a readable copy of the proclamation in this Newsletter.
On October 6, we kicked off Pints for Polio (image to left), our three week fundraiser for PolioPlus at the Springfield Beer Company. From October 6-24, the Springfield Beer Company graciously contributed $1 from every pint of their Golden 95 Lager to the PolioPlus Fund for the worldwide eradication of polio. This event drew a great crowd of Rotarians from the Springfield Clubs and their friends. The stories in this Newsletter provide more information on the Proclamation and this event. On October 12, we did not meet in recognition of Indigenous People's Day.
On October 19, we continued with our focus on Polio. Paul Morse (lead image) made an inspirational presentation on his journey as as a polio-survivor, the long-term effects of the disease, and his achievement of a successful career despite the lack of accommodations. He also reminded us that Polio has not yet been eradicated.
On October 26, we had a productive club assembly and a lot of fun as clearly indicated by the laughter and smiles in the image below.
The articles in this Newsletter explore all these topics in greater depth.
Upcoming Opportunities
The November Rotary News Flyer (below) and the Upcoming Events Section in this Newsletter present the November line-up for our Club meetings and speakers.
I hope all of you are selling oranges and grapefruit for the annual John Montgomery Memorial Citrus Drive (image below). You will need to turn in your sales to Bill Smith at our November 9 club meeting.
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I encourage all of you to attend the Fall District Conference on November 14 at the University of Illinois Springfield Student Center. The District Conference runs from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is free of charge, and includes lunch and dynamic speakers covering a wide range of Rotary topics.
There will be a Foundation Dinner from 5:00-7:00 p.m. following the District Conference. Our own Bob Stuart is the featured speaker. There is a $75 charge to participate in this event. Registration is available on the District 6460 Web Site.
I hope you enjoy learning more about all of these topics in this Newsletter.
Ken Gilmore, President