October · 2013 - 1

October is a busy month for our club. We havealways been a sponsor of the Brainerd HighSchool Foundation Hall of Fame Banquet. Thisyear two of our members, Bill Potvin and SheilaHaverkamp, join the Hall of Fame. These twodeserve the recognition and it’s nice to havepeople like that in our club. The next day, October5th, is our walk in the Rotary Riverside Park. I’mexcited with this new park acquisition and whatwe might do to improve it and add to our greatlocal park system. I hope any of you can join usthat day so we can all see the park and imaginewhat we might do to enhance it for years tocome. Finally, we end the month with ourReverse Raffle dinner. This is our biggestfundraisers but it’s an easy sell since it’s always agreat time, great food and every year I think itmight be my turn to win the big money.

As many of you have heard, the Brainerd Hotel isclosing down and October 1st is our last meetingthere. This has been our meeting place since Ijoined the club so I’m sure I will mindlessly startdriving that direction on the way to Rotary for awhile. Our short term plan is to have ourremaining October meetings at the Arb. That’s apossibility long term as well but please contactme if you have any ideas regarding otherlocations. It really helps the stability of our clubto have a place that we can call home and I’mhoping our new selection will work for years justlike the Brainerd Hotel has in the past.

Internationally, October 24th is World Polio Day

- please see the enclosed article about the currentstatus in our struggle to end polio and what youcan do to help.

Brad

WORLD POLIO DAY IS OCTOBER 24, 2013

UPDATE ON POLIO INFORMATIONProvided by Jon Stillman.First I would like to comment on the currentstatus of polio for the year. Many of you know wehave had an outbreak in Somalia, Kenya andEthiopia - all three countries that were once poliofree. The bad news is that as of 18 September wehave 185 cases of polio related to this outbreak.The good news is that outbreaks like this areincluded in the budgeting process so we wereable to react rapidly and are in the process ofconducting mass immunizations. The other goodnews - very important news - is that cases aredown 40% over the same time last year in theremaining endemic countries - Nigeria, Pakistanand Afghanistan. We still hope to stoptransmission of the wild polio virus by the end of2014.

Emphasis from Rotary was to encourage theleadership to keep our number one priority infront of our Rotarians as well as in front of our

PRESIDENT’S NOTE

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communities. Within the communities, fundraisers are encouraged to showcase the supremeeffort and leadership Rotary has provided to ahistory making event. Rotary has sent a call toencourage clubs to raise a minimum of $1,500per year for the next five years. The feeling is thateven small clubs with a person with passion forending polio can have a successful communityfund raiser. This has been demonstrated in thepast. Since we are not asking the source offunding to be Rotarians, a per capita assignmentis not appropriate.

When that $1500 is spent, more leverage will beprovided as the Bill and Melinda Gate’sFoundation will match the gift twice, up to $35million each year. Thus the $1500 gift will resultin $4500 to the End Polio Now effort. Wow -can’t get much better leverage than that! The keyswhere we can help remain - Advocating forsupport of the eradication effort bycommunicating with our representatives inWashington, raising Awareness in ourcommunities and Fundraising to ensure we havethe funds necessary to finish the job. World PolioDay is 24 October and once again, clubs are beingasked to get involved by doing something in thecommunity to raise the awareness that polio stillexists and is only a plane ride away. An ideashared with me, started in England, is toencourage a Purple Clothes Day in local schools- purple being the color we use to mark thepinkies of children, signifying that the child hasbeen immunized. I am attaching a copy of thesystem developed and used to coordinate aPurple Clothes Day.

If we work together we can not only raise somemoney to End Polio, but can raise awareness ofour Clubs in your school system. Thanks for allyou are doing to help Rotary become a part ofhistory. Let’s make this year the best ever!

What is Polio?Polio, short for Poliomyelitis, is a disease that candamage the nervous system and cause paralysis.Since Polio immunization has becomewidespread in the developed world, cases of Polioare rare. However, Polio remains a problem inmany parts of the world.

Polio [PO-lee-oh] is a viral disease that candamage the nervous system and cause paralysis.

The Polio virus enters the body through themouth, usually from hands contaminated withthe feces (pooh) of an infected person.

Polio is preventable by immunization. Since Polioimmunization has become widespread in thedeveloped world, cases of Polio are rare.

What is the infectious agent that causes Polio?Polio is caused by any of three Polio viruses.

Where is Polio found?Before the availability of Polio immunization,Polio was common worldwide. However, withstrong immunization programs and efforts byorganizations such as the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) and Rotary International torid the world of Polio, circulation of Polio virusesis limited to a decreasing number of countries.The greatest risk is now in the remainingcountries of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeriawhere the wild Polio virus continues to exist.Limited outbreaks in other parts of the world canbe traced to the remaining three countries whichhost the wild Polio virus.

How do people get Polio?The Polio virus lives in the throat and intestinaltract of infected persons. The virus enters thebody through the mouth, usually from handscontaminated with the faeces (pooh) of an

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infected person. Objects, such as eating utensils,can also spread the virus. Food and water are notthought to play a major role in the spread of Polio.

What are the signs and symptoms of Polio?The Polio virus attacks the nerve cells that controlmuscle movements. Many people infected withthe virus have few or no symptoms. Others haveshort-term symptoms, such as headache,tiredness, fever, stiff neck and back, and musclepain.

More serious problems happen when the virusinvades nerves in the brain and causes paralysisof the muscles used in swallowing and breathing.Invasion of the nerves in the spinal cord can causeparalysis of the arms, legs, or trunk.

How soon after exposure do symptomsappear?Symptoms usually start 7 to 14 days afterexposure to the virus. Infected persons are mostcontagious from a few days before to a few daysafter the start of symptoms. However, personswith Polio can spread the infection for as long asthe virus is in their throat or feces. The virus canbe found in the throat for about 1 week afterinfection and in the feces for 6 weeks or longer.

How is Polio diagnosed?Polio is diagnosed by analysis of stool samples.

Who is at risk for Polio?Polio is most common in infants and youngchildren, but complications occur most often inolder persons.

What complications can result from Polio?Complications include paralysis, most commonlyof the legs. Paralysis of the muscles that controlbreathing and swallowing can be fatal. In very

rare cases, the oral vaccine used to prevent Poliocan cause Polio paralysis in persons who arevaccinated (1 in every 8.1 million doses) and inpeople who are close contacts of a vaccinatedperson (1 in every 5 million doses). About 8 to 9cases of paralytic Polio caused by the oral vaccinehave been reported in the United States yearly.

What is the treatment for Polio?There is no treatment for Polio. A Polio patientmust receive expert medical care, especially at thebeginning of the illness.

How common is Polio?The last case of natural Polio infection in the USwas in 1979. Since then all cases of naturalinfection have been imported from parts of theworld where the disease still exists. The last caseof Polio to be imported from overseas occurred in1993. However, thousands of Polio infections stilloccur in other parts of the world. Most cases arereported from Asia and Africa.

How can Polio be prevented?Three types of Polio vaccine are available: oralPolio vaccine (OPV), inactivated Polio vaccine(IPV) and the bivalent oral Polio vaccine (bOPV).

UPDATE ON POLIO INFORMATION CONT.

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Reverse raffle:A chance to WIN $10,000.00

On October 25, 2013 our Reverse Raffle dinner will be held at Madden’s on Gull Lake.

A buffet dinner at Madden’s Town Hall that evening and a chance to win $10,000 and other prizes. Tickets for the reverse raffle are $100 and the dinner tickets are $25 each. There will also be a second chance drawing,

and tickets will be sold that evening for a chance to win an additional $1,000.

Tickets are on sale, check them out with Michelle. You may reserve a table if you sell 10 dinner tickets. We are looking for donations for prizes and the Silent Auction for the raffleplease bring them to rotary, or we can pick them up please contact Jeff Torfin or Stacie Bednarek

Proceeds from the raffle go to the Brainerd Rotary Foundation and support Brainerd lakes area organizations focusing on children.

SAVE THE DATE!

NEW MEMBERS:On 9-24-13 was first announcement for mem-bership Mike Aulie.

BIRTHDAY REPORT

10/04 Stacie Bednarek

10/05 Donald Porter

10/05 Jesse Hopkins

10/07 Wayne Larson

10/08 Tim Ramerth

10/10 Penny Nelsen

10/10 John Swanson

10/15 Donald Ryan

10/18 Mark Erickson

10/19 Michael Sands

10/25 Daniel Brown

10/29 John Forrest

10/30 John Luce

10/30 Jeff Birks

YEARS IN BRAINERD ROTARY

28 years Jim Roelofs 10/8

26 years Charlie Sheets 10/27/1987

19 years Darrell Schneider on 10/10

18 years Paula Persons on 10/24

15 years Bob Musielewicz on 10/13

2 year Mike Bjerkness on 10/25

1 year Lonny Thomas on 10/16