Join the Rotary Club of Joliet on August 11 as we welcome Ina Pinkney, a Chicago restaurateur and polio survivor. Pinkney will share her inspiring personal story and discuss the importance of Rotary's ongoing effort to eradicate polio worldwide
The Rotary Club of Joliet invites members and guests to attend our General Membership Meeting on Tuesday, August 11, featuring special guest Ina Pinkney, a renowned Chicago restaurateur, community leader, and polio survivor whose personal story highlights the imp
ortance of Rotary's global fight to eradicate polio.
ortance of Rotary's global fight to eradicate polio. Pinkney contracted polio at just one year old during the devastating epidemics of the 1940s and 1950s. She has often reflected on the fear, uncertainty, and social isolation that families experienced during the outbreak, drawing parallels between the polio epidemic and more recent public health challenges. Her story serves as a powerful reminder of both the human toll of the disease and the extraordinary progress made through vaccination.
For more than three decades, Rotary International has been a leader in the fight against polio through its PolioPlus program and partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Thanks to the efforts of Rotary members and global health partners, polio cases worldwide have been reduced by more than 99.9 percent since 1988, bringing the world closer than ever to eliminating the disease forever.
The Rotary Club of Joliet proudly supports this mission through fundraising, community awareness efforts, and contributions to PolioPlus. Rotary's work has helped immunize billions of children around the globe and protect future generations from a disease that once paralyzed hundreds of thousands of children each year.
Pinkney's presentation will offer a unique and personal perspective on why Rotary's commitment to ending polio remains as important today as ever. Her message of resilience, hope, and gratitude for those working to eradicate the disease promises to be both moving and inspiring.
Join us on August 11 to hear firsthand from a survivor whose life has been shaped by polio and whose story underscores why we must continue working until the last case is eliminated.
Meeting Information
Date: Tuesday, August 11
Time: 12:15 -1:15 p.m.
Location: Jacob Henry Mansion Victorian Ballroom
Date: Tuesday, August 11
Time: 12:15 -1:15 p.m.
Location: Jacob Henry Mansion Victorian Ballroom
Guests are welcome. We encourage anyone interested in Rotary's humanitarian work and the global effort to end polio to attend this special program.
Together, we can help finish the fight against polio. Donate now to Rotary's PolioPlus Fund.