Press Release
CALGARY (June 19, 2025) The Calgary Tower will glow red and yellow the nights of June 21 and 22, and the TELUS Sky street-level video wall along the 1st St SW C-Train station will feature Rotary’s End Polio Now visuals June 21-25 to highlight Rotary’s top cause of eradicating polio worldwide.
Polio a paralyzing and sometimes deadly disease is set to become the second human disease in history to be eradicated, and Rotary has been at the forefront of this effort since launching its polio eradication program, PolioPlus, in 1985.
Calgary is proud to welcome Rotary to our city a global organization whose values of service, leadership, and community align so well with Calgary’s own, said Tourism Calgary’s President & CEO, Alisha Reynolds. Lighting up the city to reflect Rotary’s values and commitment to global service is a beautiful gesture by our city’s venues that celebrates our community spirit and pays tribute to Rotary’s commitment to a better world.
The Government of Canada has provided unwavering support for polio eradication for more than two decades. Notably, Canada was the first country to elevate the importance of polio eradication and call for its funding in global political and economic forums such as the G7. Canada pledged CAD$151 million to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in September 2024 and has committed more than CAD$1 billion to date.
Among the roster of world class speakers to address the more than 15,000 Rotary members and participants from over 120 countries gathering in Calgary (June 21-25) at the Scotiabank Saddledome at Stampede Park are:
- Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), who will provide an update on the status of efforts to eradicate polio worldwide [Sunday, June 22 – 11 a.m.].
- Ramesh Ferris, Canadian polio survivor, Team End Polio and Rotary member, who will draw parallels from his personal story of overcoming challenges to inspire continued global commitment to ending this disease [Tuesday, June 24 – 10 a.m.].
Emblematic of Rotary members commitment to ending polio, Ralph Zuke is raising awareness and funds by riding a custom-fashioned rickshaw from St. Louis, US to the convention for the third time.
Canadian Rotary members have also long supported Rotary’s polio eradication efforts and have contributed US$50 million of the more than US$2.9 billion Rotary has committed to fighting polio, including matching funds from the Gates Foundation–a partner in the GPEI–and countless volunteer hours.
We recognize with gratitude the steadfast commitment of the Government of Canada and Canadian Rotary members to the promise of a polio-free world–it inspires us all, said Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick. As one of the founding members of the GPEI, we have seen what’s possible when we work together, and we share an unfaltering sense of purpose as we collaborate to secure the ongoing financial and political support necessary to ensure that no child will ever again be paralyzed by polio.
Awareness and funding are crucial as the GPEI continues its work to end polio for good in the face of fragile health systems, security threats, and natural disasters. The funding also helps sustain the GPEI’s global health infrastructure, which supports disease surveillance, laboratory networks, and trained health care workers.
About Rotary:
Rotary unites a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges and creating lasting change. Rotary connects 1.2 million people of action from more than 45,000 Rotary clubs in almost every country in the world: including approximately 3,000 members in more than 100 clubs in Alberta and more than 20,000 members in over 750 clubs across Canada. Their service improves lives both locally and internationally, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.
About Rotary’s Polio Efforts:
In 1988, Rotary joined in partnership with the WHO, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to form the GPEI, and the Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance later joined. When the initiative launched, there were 350,000 cases of polio every year, but thanks to the GPEI’s efforts, in partnership with world governments including Canada the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, and only Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to report cases of wild polio.
For more information, visit endpolio.org.
