Rotary Club of Londonderry

A project that will help raise awareness of Thanks for Life / Polio Eradication when we fundraise on 23rd February 2011

So, what's it all about?

RIBI Clubs, working with The Eden Project and the International Flower Bulb Centre (IBC) in Holland, hope to plant purple crocus bulbs from the beginning of October so they will be in flower for Rotary Day – 23 February 2011.

These Purple Flowers represent the colour of ink dabbed on a child’s little finger to indicate it has been immunised against polio.

Rotary clubs across RIBI are currently contacting their local schools, residential homes, local councils, hospitals and other community organisations to ask them to identify suitable sites which can then be planted with swathes of purple crocus bulbs in the autumn – as a reminder of the essential need to continue the fight to eradicate polio from our world.

The Rotary Club of Londonderry is arranging to plant 5,000 crocus bulbs this October to promote awareness of the valuable work carried out by Rotarians in their End Polio Now campaign.

23rd February 2011 will be Thanks For Life day and the plan is that we will have a wonderful purple splash of colour being a reminder of the purple pinkie - once a child is vaccinated against polio the volunteers dip their finger in a purple dye so as to know which children have already been given the vaccine.

Thanks For Life is a purpose-built initiative, specifically designed to combine the talents and efforts of every Rotary club in RIBI with three main aims...

• To maximise public awareness of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland

• To increase membership; Rotary, Rotaract, Interact

• To raise funds for Polio Eradication and the Gates Challenge

Rotary Day is 23rd February and the Thanks for Life main activites will take place during the week of 19th to 26th February. This year we are hoping to celebrate Rotary Day with a blaze of colourful purple crocus flowers.