Purple Pinkies for Polio (Friday)

“PURPLE PINKIES for POLIO”: THIS FRIDAY, 10/30!

Our Interact Club is excited about helping raise funds for Rotary’s PolioPlus program.

Since 1985, Rotary has achieved a 99 percent reduction of polio worldwide. Polio victims in other countries are called “crawlers,” and socially are considered lower than animals in their society.

The Purple Pinkie Project helps raise funds to protect children from polio.  Millions of children and their parents in countries where polio still exists know that a freshly painted purple pinkie means the child is protected from polio.  Throughout the world, each time a Rotary International volunteer gives the polio vaccine to a child in the village, the child’s pinkie is colored purple with GENTIAN VIOLET INK. Their purple pinkie indicates they have been immunized against polio, and prevents another volunteer from giving a double dose of the precious vaccine. 

Building upon this symbolism, when our local school children make a $1.00 contribution during Purple Pinkie Project day, our Interactors will paint their pinkies with the same Gentian Violet Ink used around the world on a National Immunization Day.  Gentian Violet is used in the mouths of babies to treat “thrush,” so it is safe.  It stains the pinkie for one day, and the purple stays on the cuticle for around 5 days.  During the elections in Iraq, it was used to stain the index finger when they cast their ballot.

Since $1.00 is the approximate cost to immunize two children against polio, the students are encouraged to bring $1.00 or more to help with this cause.  Some students even bring $5 for 5 fingers, or $10 for both hands. 

On Purple Pinkie Project Day, the students bring $1, and we give them a purple pinkie using the same Gentian Violet Ink used by PolioPlus volunteers around the world.  If students prefer not to use the ink, purple nail polish on the pinkie finger can be done.   Whichever method is used, it will be that child’s personal symbol that his or her contribution has helped free another child from polio forever.  Their purple pinkie or fingernail is their “Polio Hero” badge.

100% of the funds raised go to Rotary International’s PolioPlus Program.

With everyone’s help, we can make polio only the 2nd disease to be wiped off the face of the earth (What was the 1st?  Small Pox)