Legal services provider Appleby Isle of Man has donated ?1440 to the Rotary Club of Douglas who are involved in Rotary International’s global ‘Thanks for Life’ campaign, which raises funds for the eradication of polio worldwide. The donation matches the investment already made by the Rotary Club of Douglas, which has produced purple bands that are now being sold across the Island to raise funds and awareness for the cause. The ‘Thanks for Life – End Polio Now’ campaign is a supporter of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a global campaign chiefly supported by UNICEF, the World Health Organisation and Rotary International which began in 1985. John Rimmer, a Partner at Appleby Isle of Man, commented on the donation: “The partners and staff of Appleby Isle of Man are happy to support The Thanks for Life campaign with this donation. The Rotary Club of Douglas has been active in talking to students from a range of Island schools, highlighting the impact of this eradicable disease on communities in developing countries. We felt that a donation to cover the costs of buying the purple ‘End Polio Now’ bands would be a meaningful contribution to their work, allowing any funds raised to be profit for the campaign. There are collection boxes in our office, and staff have been purchasing the bands – so there is a little more money still to come from Appleby.” Polio is an infectious and incurable viral disease that can leave victims severely disabled. However, it is eradicable and vaccinations provided by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have reduced global incidences of the disease by 99% since 1985. It is now only endemic in four countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria, India and Pakistan. The funds donated by Appleby Isle of Man will go directly towards funding immunisation drives for children under the age of five in the high risk countries, as well as tracking the disease, containing outbreaks and improving public health infrastructure. Kevin Kneen, Thanks for Life Coordinator for the Rotary Club of Douglas, also commented on the donation: “Appleby's donation is vital to our campaign. At 20p per vaccination, for every pound we can save five children from this crippling and sometimes deadly disease. So, with Appleby's help, we will be able to protect over seven thousand children. We are at the threshold of eradicating the disease completely and it is generous donations like these that bring us one step closer.” Ends