Members of Stone Rotary Club joined Rotarians from other clubs across Staffordshire to plant 24,000 crocuses at the Trentham Estate.
The clubs included in the crocus initiative were Audley, Blythe Bridge, Burslem, Eccleshall, Etruria, Leek, Newcastle, Stoke-on-Trent, Stoke South, Stone, Tunstall and Wolstanton.
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President of the Stoke-on-Trent Rotary Club, David Woolrich, said: “This is a great example of different Rotary Clubs coming together to raise awareness. We’re planning to work together again and hope to put on a bonfire and firework display at the end of the year.”
2 comments
John Sayer
Just to amplify this story a little – the crocuses in Trentham mark the launch of what is hoped is the final push of Rotary’s Thanks for Life/End Polio Now campaign.
The significance of the ‘purple’ crocus is that when children in the last four small areas in Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan have been vaccinated against polio, with the two drops of vaccine they have their little finger inked with purple marker so that no child is overlooked or double dosed. – Purple Pinkie Power!
The “Blooming Crocus” field will be a powerful symbol of the fight against Polio and in years to come it will serve as a constant reminder of the work that has been done to cure this disease.
In 1985 when Rotary decided on the goal to eradicate Polio worldwide there 1,000 new cases of Polio reported every day from the 125 countries in which Polio was then endemic. In 2010 there were less than 1,000 cases reported in total from the 4 countries left.
So far 2 Billion children have been immunised by Rotary, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation and with the help of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation every £1 donated will help save more than 5 lives. With your help we will put an end to this awful disease.
Jamie Summerfield
Many thanks John. I should have mailed you before posting for some more info!