Clitheroe Castle set to turn purple for polio

Clitheroe Castle will be lit up purple on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as part of Rotary World Polio Day celebrations.
Clitheroe CastleClitheroe Castle
Clitheroe Castle

The colour purple represents the colour of the dye placed on a child’s finger to show they have been immunised against the disease.

Clitheroe and Ribblesdale Rotary Clubs and its members have been committed to fighting to eradicate polio across the world for more than 30 years.

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A spokesman said: "Since 1985, Rotary has been involved with polio eradication and in that time, partnered with the World Health Organisation, Unicef and the Bill Gates Foundation, Rotarians have helped immunise more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries. Today, only two countries are still reporting new cases of polio: Pakistan and Afghanistan, because as recently as this August, Nigeria was declared free of the wild virus having had no new cases for three years. However, until this disease is completely eradicated, we are all perhaps just a plane journey away from contracting this cruel disease as the virus resides in the intestinal tract or the nose and throat. Polio can lead to paralysis and although there is no cure, there is a safe and effective vaccine. We are so close to its complete eradication."

The spokesman went onto explain how purple crocus corms have been planted in open green spaces in Clitheroe to raise awareness of Rotary International’s campaign to fight polio. And on Saturday collections will be held for the "End Polio Now" campaign.