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               Dr. Pirog, who won IowaState's Ag College Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2004, leads a group at IowaState which provides technical assistance to farmer-led food businesses and networks. His talk will be especially relevant today when he host several local producers on Rural Urban Day.

A full house hears exciting news about a fund raising project for polio eradication

             A large group of Rotarians from Waterloo's two clubs and Cedar Falls participated in a celebration of Rotary's 104^th birthday February 23 at the SullivanCenter.

            Highlight of the program was the announcement by President Elect Steve Carignan that the event we've agreed to co-host at the Gallagher Bluedorn PAC will feature world famous Itzhak Perlman, an Israeli-American virtuoso violinist and teacher. He is one of the most distinguished violinists of the late 20th century. Five weeks ago he played at the inauguration of President Obama.

            Proceeds from the concert will go towards our district's goal of raising more than $100,000 to match the challenge grant from the Perlman contracted polio at the age of four. He made a good recovery, learning to walk with the use of crutches. Today, he generally uses crutches or a scooter for mobility and plays the violin while seated.

              A final date for the concert has not been nailed down yet, but it is expected to be in late fall, 2009. The three local clubs will be listed as sponsors the event, which is expected to sell out.

Cost of the sponsorship is $10,000. Previously the three clubs had agreed to contribute $2,500 and two Cedar Falls businesses had each pledged $1,000. But when District Governor Nominee Roger Kueter asked the group for people who wished to give $1,000 towards the remaining $5,500, Steve Schmitt was the first to stand. Then it was Greg Humble, then Mary Kayner, then Larry Biesanz, and finally Dave Braton. That brought the total to $9,500. Dr. Kueter, who is a celebrity auctioneer in spare time, knows how to work a crowd. So he suggested that five members offer $100 each to honor club member Doug Oberman. Five hands shot up at once. They belong to Tom Arthur, Steve Carignan, Kevin McCrindle and Dave Buck. We'd made our goal of $10,000.

But Kueter wasn't done. He then offered to auction off packages of tickets to selected upcoming concerts at the PAC for $200 each and got three takers, Joe Gitta, president of the Cedar Falls club; Mayor Tim Hurley and David Lee.

From the British Parliament to the Roman Coliseum, world landmarks will carry Rotary's End Polio Now pledge during the week of Feb. 23

              What do the Roman Coliseum, the British Parliament, and the Sydney Opera House, and Cape Town's TableMountain have in common?

Each of these iconic landmarks provided a dramatic backdrop for an equally dramatic message: End Polio Now. Those three words -- Rotary's pledge to rid the world of this crippling childhood disease -- will be projected onto each landmark during the week surrounding Feb. 23, the humanitarian service organization's 104th anniversary.

"By illuminating these historic landmarks with our pledge to end polio, Rotary clubs are announcing to the world that we will not stop until the goal is achieved," says Jonathan Majiyagbe, chair of The Rotary Foundation, which oversees Rotary's polio eradication program. "We hope people everywhere will see these words -- either in person or through the media -- and join with us and our partners in this historic effort to rid the world of polio once and for all."

The illuminated displays highlight an already historic year in Rotary's 20-year effort to eradicate polio, a goal more than 99 percent achieved. In January, Rotary pledged to raise $200 million to match $355 million in challenge grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. All of the resulting $555 million will be spent in support of eradication activities.

In addition to the landmark displays, Rotary clubs worldwide have planned a variety of polio eradication awareness and fundraising activities surrounding Feb. 23. Just a few examples:

• In Scotland, several historic buildings, including CulzeanCastle, were illuminated with the End Polio Now message on consecutive nights.
• The End Polio Now message also adorned the High Falls of Rochester, N.Y. on the evening of Feb. 23.

• Purple Pinkie Week began February 23 in the United Kingdom. Rotary members solicited donations in exchange for a spot of purple dye on each donor's pinkie finger. That's how Rotary volunteers and health workers in developing countries record that a child has received the oral polio vaccine.
• Rotary clubs working with the Singapore postal service arranged for the release of official postage stamps carrying the polio eradication theme and other Rotary messages.
• In a hands-on show of Rotary's commitment to end polio, a team of 12 South Korean Rotary members, accompanied by Korean journalists, traveled to India to help immunize thousands of children.

Polio eradication has been Rotary's top priority for more than two decades. The international humanitarian service organization is a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, along with the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF.

Great progress has been made, and the incidence of polio infection has plunged from about 350,000 cases in 1988 to fewer than 2,000 in 2008. More than two billion children have been immunized in 122 countries, preventing five million cases of paralysis and 250,000 pediatric deaths. Today, polio remains endemic to only four countries: India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Afghanistan.

Rotary club members worldwide have contributed more than $800 million and countless volunteer hours to the effort and are now working aggressively to raise the $200 million needed to match the Gates Foundation grants. The money is needed to help close a funding gap that could undermine two decades of progress. To learn more about polio eradication, including how to participate in this historic effort, visit www.rotary.org/endpoliotoday.

President Mason and Jeremy Kauten from VGM Forbin have uploaded a clickable photo roster from 1966.  You can find it by clicking "About Our Club" then "Club History" on the left side of our webpage.

February Birthdays       

2          Steve Showers

3          BJ Beecher

9          Julie Hayes                                                                 

14        Berkeley Smith and Larry Biesanz

15        Allen Ricks

16        Michael Dargan

20        Uyntha Duncan and Craig Ritland

21        Steve Sinnott

23        Syd Thomas

28        Tim Mannatt

March Birthdays

5          Ralph Hadlund and Wayne Nathem

13        Larry Garlock

15        Steve Jordan

16        Mason Fromm and Bob High

20        Eric Ritland

26        Art Cox

27        Todd Peterson

28        John Hawse, Lee Miller and Tom Verhulst

30        Bob Regenwether

If you are interested in adding your company logo to the right of our website pages, review the Web Sponsor Form found in the lower right hand corner of our home page.  You can click the accompanying image to see the 3 size options.  Only 2 spots are available, so email Mason to stake your claim right now!

Be the first to email me this Rotarian's name for bragging rights - I'll reveal his identity in the next Reporter, so stay tuned!