10/04/2026
Governor Pritzker's Proclamation: World Polio Day in Illinois.
Thank you to Governor Pritzker and the State of Illinois for recognizing October 24, 2026 as World Polio Day in Illinois. Our club is honored to be part of this proclamation and involved in the work to eradicate Polio from the planet so it will never be a harm to children and adults in the future.
Please take a few minute to read the Governor's proclamation:
STATE OF ILLINOIS
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
Proclamation
WHEREAS, Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who unite and take action to create lasting change in communities across the globe; and,
WHEREAS, the Rotary motto, Service Above Self, inspires members to provide humanitarian service, follow high ethical standards, and promote goodwill and peace in the world; and,
WHEREAS, polio is a highly infectious, vaccine-preventable disease that once caused widespread paralysis and death, particularly among children, and continues to pose a risk in areas where immunization rates have fallen or access to healthcare is limited; and,
WHEREAS, Rotary International has been a driving force in the fight against polio for more than three decades, leading efforts to vaccinate billions of children, strengthen community health systems, and support global surveillance and rapid response initiatives; and,
WHEREAS, in 1985, Rotary launched PolioPlus and helped establish the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, which today includes the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to immunize the children of the world against polio; and,
WHEREAS, to date, Rotary has contributed more than $2.9 billion and countless volunteer hours to protecting more than 3 billion children in 122 countries and is working to raise an additional $50 million per year, which would be leveraged by an additional $100 million annually from the Gates Foundation, and these efforts are providing much-needed operational support, medical staff, laboratory equipment, and educational materials for health workers and parents; and,
WHEREAS, polio cases have dropped by 99.9 percent since 1988, and the world stands on the threshold of eradicating the disease - continued vigilance, advocacy, and collaboration remain essential to achieving a polio-free world and ensuring that future generations are protected from this preventable disease; and,
WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of Springfield, Illinois has continued to support the eradication of polio by completing a Rotary Global Grant project in Dhakalthok, Nepal, to create a gravity-flow water system that brought sustainable, clean water access to a local village, and by donating to the Rotary International PolioPlus Fund; and,
WHEREAS, the Rotary Clubs of Chicago Southeast and Springfield join Rotary International and partners around the world in recognizing World Polio Day on October 24, a day dedicated to raising awareness and strengthening the global commitment to ending polio; and,
WHEREAS, World Polio Day is an opportunity to honor the dedication of local and global partners, health workers, and volunteers who work tirelessly to eliminate polio and improve the well-being of communities everywhere;
THEREFORE, I, JB Pritzker, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby recognize October 24, 2026, as World Polio Day in Illinois, and encourage all members and community partners to join in raising awareness, supporting immunization efforts, and reaffirming our shared commitment to ending polio worldwide.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Illinois to be affixed.
Done at the Capitol in the City of Springfield, this TWENTY-EIGHTH day of SEPTEMBER, in the Year of Our Lord, two thousand and TWENTY-SIX, and of the State of Illinois, the TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTH.
Alexi Giannoulias
Secretary of State
JB Pritzker
Governor
