The News Herald: Breaking news coverage for Southgate, MI.
ALLEN PARK –– Rotary Club President Donna Schmidt still is on cloud nine from her service trip to India.
She traveled more than 16,000 miles as a member of an international humanitarian team from Feb. 4 to 21. The 22-member team participated in several basic-needs projects, with a focus on polio vaccinations.
“Watching families bring their children in, trusting them to other people, placing a value on making sure their children will never have to fight this terrible disease was amazing,” the retired educator said.
Rotarians began focusing on polio eradication in 1985. India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the only countries with active cases.
The Polio National Immunization Day was finalized by the World Health Organization and the India Health Ministry. On Feb. 7, 500,000 volunteers provided polio immunizations to 172 million children ages 5 and younger.