Rotary Kilkenny hold coffee and cake fundraiser for polio

Kilkenny Rotary Club held a coffee and cake fundraising event at the Pembroke Hotel last Saturday morning in a bid to raise funds to aid ongoing worldwide efforts to eradicate polio.

The timing of ‘Fill Your Plate For Polio’ was symbolic, taking place on the eve of the 115th anniversary of Rotary International.
Kilkenny Rotary Club President Jason Dempsey used his speech that morning to emphasise the importance of polio eradication.

“In 1988 poliovirus was endemic to 125 countries, now it is endemic to only two - Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he explained.

“Polio could become just the second human disease to be completely eradicated after smallpox, and we have a responsibility to finish the job.”

Those in attendance were encouraged to drop a voluntary donation into the fundraising buckets as they sampled the sweet treats on offer.

The coffee and cakes were kindly provided by John Ryan, owner of the Pembroke Hotel and fellow Rotarian.

There are 72 Rotary clubs across Ireland and Kilkenny is one of the largest, with 60 members.

Rotary Kilkenny began in 1979 and is an active group of professional men and women who want to use their skills to ‘give back’ to the community.

It is a volunteer-led organisation whose members invest time and effort into local, national and international projects.