Baloo helps spread Rotary’s Polio message

Baloo the Bear is one of only 29 bears who has been allocated to each of the 29 districts of Rotary with the United Kingdom collecting pledges and raising awareness of Rotary’s END POLIO NOW campaign.

These campaign teddy bears will be well-travelled and there is a prize for the Bear that arrives at the Rotary International Convention in Sydney, Australia on 1st June 2014, having visited the most Rotary clubs and collected the most financial pledges.

Accompanying Baloo on his visit to Hucknall (and other Nottingham clubs) was Assistant Governor Chris Elkin. Rotary has been working with its many partners, including the World Health Organisation and the Bill Gates Foundation, to rid the world of Polio and there are only two countries where Polio currently exists: Nigeria and Afghanistan.

India celebrated being polio-free for the last three years in January 2014. Baloo the Bear recently journeyed to India with well-known Nottinghamshire Rotarian Val Leivers where he helped out at a National Immunisation Day held in Hyperabad and also had the honour of meeting Indian Cabinet Minister Pallan Raju.

By the time Baloo reaches Sydney, he will have visited all 57 rotary clubs in the East Midlands as well as his exciting adventures travelling to India.