The Rotary Club of Fountain Hills always welcomes Rotarians who spend winters in the area.

Winter visitors are invited to enjoy and participate in the Tuesday lunch meetings.

A recent example of its open door policy is the long-term visiting Rotarian Holly Callen.

Callen is affiliated with the Rotary Club of Eden Prairie (Minn.) Noon. She recently made a trip to Nigeria on behalf of Rotary and shared her experiences with the local members.

The purpose for the trip was to vaccinate the children of Nigeria against the crippling disease of polio. Rotary began the effort to rid the world of polio in 1979 in the Philippines. At that time, everyone said it would be impossible to eradicate polio. However, after Rotary proved it could be done by eliminating the disease in the Philippines in 1988, the World Health Organization joined Rotary to launch the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Soon, UNICEF, the Centers for Disease Control and, most recently, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation joined the effort.

In 1988, there were 350,000 cases in 125 countries each year. Today there are only three countries worldwide where polio is still endemic: Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, there have only been 15 reported cases of polio in 2017 with none in Nigeria for the last 15 months.

Thus far, smallpox is the only disease that has been eradicated by human efforts. However, polio is disappearing due to the diligent efforts of the GPEI partners and, as Callen says, “We are on the countdown to history.”

While in Nigeria, Callen and her 10 fellow Rotarians from the U.S., Canada and Denmark immunized more than 3,000 children. They also handed out 1,800 bed nets to protect pregnant and nursing women from mosquitos that carry malaria and the Zika virus. In addition, the Rotarians purchased and distributed 153 hand-cranked tricycle wheelchairs that will give polio survivors the independence to attend school, learn a trade, care for their family and lead a dignified life.

“This was one of the most moving experiences of my life,” Callen said. “One of the children I vaccinated was only one day old. The mother was so happy to know that her child will never get polio. The fact that I helped to ensure that 3,000 children will never have to worry about this horrible disease is a joy I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I am proud to be a Rotarian and to play a small part to ‘End Polio Now.’”

Go to endpolio.org for more information.

The Rotary Club of Fountain Hills meets at Fountain View Village each Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch is $12 per person.

For information, call Wayne Rish, 480-664-4820. There will be no meetings Tuesday, Dec. 26, or Jan. 2. The first meeting of the new year is set for Tuesday, Dec. 9.