World Polio Day on 24 October
A father-son duo set out to ride every train line in Sydney in one day to raise funds for Rotary’s End Polio campaign. Our club jumped on the train as it pulled into Platform 2 at West Ryde Station, waiting for the 4:50 pm train from Denistone. The fourth carriage from the front had been designated as the Train Ride to End Polio carriage.
When the train pulled in, the three of our club members made our way to carriage four, where we were warmly greeted by Mark, David Anderson, and several other Rotarians. We quickly gathered for a few happy snaps and proudly pledged that our club will donate $2,300 to the End Polio campaign.
The whole activity took just two minutes during which the train travelled to Meadowbank Station, where we disembarked and returned to West Ryde.
Dave Anderson is a Sydney Rail employee and proud Rotarian. Eight years ago, his passion for trains, combined with his connection to Rotary sparked an idea: a Train Ride to End Polio.
Together with his father, Mark Anderson, they have raised close to $800,000 over eight years. Their goal this year, timed with World Polio Day on 24 October, is to push their fundraising total past the $1 million mark.
Visiting every train station in Sydney in one day is no small feat. This logistical challenge means visiting more than 195 stations, boarding 28 trains and clocking over 18.5 hours to achieve the outcome. Dave handles the logistics, while Mark sounds the call to local Rotary Clubs to get involved. En route, the duo is often joined by a wave of red ‘End Polio’ t-shirts, as Rotarians come out to join the ride.
Globally over 3000 local Rotary clubs got involved in this years End Polio Day World Polio Day | End Polio. It feels great to be connected with a global community to fight this disease. Whilst the last case of wild polio recorded in 1972 in Australia, the disease remains a threat in other parts of the world. Rotary’s global End Polio Now campaign has helped reduce cases by 99% since 1985, yet the fight isn’t over.