Polio Eradication Exercise Challenge (PEEC)

Posted: April 16 - 2012

After 20 years of hard work, Rotary and its partners are on the brink of eradicating this tenacious disease, but a strong push is needed now to root it out once and for all. It is a window of opportunity of historic proportions.   

Our District (Rotary District 5080) is committed to doing its part to eradicate this disease.  They have come up with a plan to raise funds through an exercise challenge for the winter and spring of 2012.  Our club has tried to simplify the process for our own club members, and any others who want  to raise money for this cause.  This was recently presented to our club members who have expressed their support in this effort.

It is called the Polio Eradication Exercise Challenge (PEEC).  If you accept this challenge (and we hope you all will) there will be a combination of events that make up the whole undertaking, and you may participate in any, most, or all of them.

Recently a young man asked me “What is polio?”  I probably gave him too long an answer.  The encouraging thing is that young people in this part of the world do not remember polio, and the toll that it took on people and families not so very long ago.  What a great day it will be when the whole world can ask the question – “What was polio?”

Here’s an example of what we hope you might do:

1. Plan to exercise 3 times per week.     
2. Contribute $2 each time you exercise
3. Plan to do this between January 1 and April 30, 2012          
4. You will have raised $102 by doing this.      
5. Invite your friends to join you through Facebook or other means, which will raise additional funds for this worthy cause. 

Aside from the goal of raising funds to eliminate polio, there are other side benefits:

1. Weight loss    
2. Increased energy        
3. Increased muscle tone
4. Better mental health   
5. Higher self esteem

You can donate online or you can use our pledge form!

The simple idea is that each time you exercise, whether it is by yourself, or in a group activity, you will pay to do so.  The suggestion is $2 per workout, but you can determine the financial level you wish to participate at.  This would apply if you go for a walk or run, ski, swim, cycle or work out at a gym.  Some people may travel to warmer climates where you may play a round of golf during these winter months, and that would qualify too.  However you choose to exercise, we ask that you pay an amount each time you do it.  We also hope to organize some group events, such as full moon cross-country ski evenings or organized walks to encourage some group participation.

We do not necessarily need to keep track of miles traveled.  Our goal is to raise funds for polio, so we only need to keep track of the dollars committed.  We will encourage you to contribute weekly, or at least monthly, and we’ll keep track of your contributions on a spread sheet so we can mark our progress.

Why should we pay to exercise?  Because we are not bound by the debilitating effects of polio. Simply put, “Because we can!”

You can donate online or you can use our pledge form!