Visitors to Eden Court Highlands have been supporting the Rotary International programme to eradicate polio by 2020.
When the Rotary embarked on this major vaccination programme there were 350,000 cases of polio worldwide.
With the £1.3billion that’s been raised, support from governments round the world, major financial backing from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and fundraising by 1.2 million Rotarians, there were less than 100 this year.
The Rotary Club of Huntly in conjunction with Rizzas Ice-cream embarked on a programme to raise funds for polio immunisations by producing a Purple4Polio blueberry ice-cream. Every small tub sold equals one immunisation, but with match funding from the Gates Foundation this increases to three immunisations.
Audiences at Eden Court Highlands have purchased 10,140 tubs of the blueberry ice-cream since 2017 which is equal to 30,420 inoculations. Throughout the UK, 26,000 tubs of ice-cream have been sold which equals 78,000 immunisations.
Eden Court is reminding everyone about this campaign on Thursday, World Polio Day
Those buying blueberry ice-cream are helping to eliminate polio by 2020.
Michael Halley, President of Inverness Loch Ness Rotary Club said: “Rotary is grateful for the support of Eden Court Highlands and its visitors.”
Alison Logsdail, head of fundraising and philanthropy at Eden Court, said they would continue selling the ice cream to help Rotary achieve its goal – eradiction by 2020.
She said: “We would like to thank all of our customers for their ongoing support with this life changing campaign.”
