Sunday was a beautiful warm day, perfect for the Run for Polio 5K at Myers Park.  The race was sponsored by the Lansing-Ithaca and Dryden Rotary Clubs.

The winner, Paul Kempkes, came with a time of: 0:21:07. He was someone who might not have been expected to win, since he has two new hips.  Alex Reimer (left), a 7th grader at Boynton, came in second with a time of  0:21:43, while Chris Miller came in third with a time of  0:23:30.  Gwynne Mapes came in fourth with a time of 0:23:34.  She was the first woman to complete the race.


When organizers promoted the race, some people were surprised that polio is still something to be concerned about.  That's because the medical professionals in the United States are vigilant about vaccination.  

Polio is endemic in three countries in the world: Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria.  However, it is present in other countries as well.  The Polio Plus division of the Rotary Foundation is closing the gap: "Polio cases are down 99 % worldwide from 350,000 cases in 1988 to 223 cases — an all-time low — in 2012."  

If we don't continue vaccinations, polio could easily come back in greater numbers.  Bill Gates, whose father is a Rotarian, matches each contribution 2 to 1, so a donor gets a lot of bang for his or her buck.

Mary Smalley, who came to watch her grandchildren Alex and Ainslie run, told a story that is a reminder of how devastating polio can be.  When Mary was growing up, her sister, Martha, came down with polio, and was placed in an iron lung.  The family took turns caring for her, but she never regained her health and died in early adulthood.


This is the first of what organizers hope will be many runs for polio.  They collected $944, which will be matched 2 to 1 by Bill Gates.

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