Ice cream sales see visitors to Eden Court in Inverness support Rotary challenge to eradicate polio
Visitors to Eden Court have been supporting the Rotary International programme to eradicate polio by 2020.
Since 2017, audiences at the Inverness have purchased 10,140 tubs of the blueberry ice cream – helping pay for 30,420 inoculations.
In 2016, the Rotary Club of Huntly in conjunction with ice cream firm Rizza's started on a programme to raise funds for polio immunisations by producing a Purple4Polio blueberry ice cream. Every small tub sold equals one immunisation, but with match funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation this increases to three immunisations.
When the Rotary embarked on its major vaccination programme almost 35 years ago there were 350,000 cases of polio worldwide. With the £1.3 billion that’s been raised since, support from governments round the world, major financial backing from the Gates Foundation and fundraising by 1.2 million Rotarians, there were less than 100 this year.
Throughout the UK, 26,000 tubs of ice cream have been sold which equals 78,000 immunisations.
Michael Halley, president of Inverness Loch Ness Rotary Club remembers the launch of the campaign in 1985. He said: “Rotary grasped the challenge with both hands and promised the world that it would help eradicate polio. The few cases last year were in Pakistan and Afghanistan and in spite of the conflict, immunisation days were still being held. Rotary is grateful for the support of Eden Court and its visitors.”
Alison Logsdail, head of fundraising and philanthropy at Eden Court, said: “We would like to thank all of our customers for their ongoing support with this life-changing campaign.
"We are delighted that Eden Court has been able to help and will continue selling the very popular blueberry ice cream to help Rotary achieve their goal of eradicating polio by 2020.”
