One Rotarian, one rowing machine, one club, one goal: 70,000 meters in 22 days.
Lynn Perez-Hewitt has firsthand experience with The Ride to End Polio in Tucson, Arizona. No, rather than riding a bike in the race, she coordinated the finish line booth to greet returning riders. Since leaving Tucson she has followed the development of indoor rides to end polio and now even knitting to end polio. This year she decided to put herself and her rowing machine to the new test.
It was 70 years ago that the Salk vaccine became available and began to change and save lives. Rowing 70,000 meters in honor of that anniversary was meaningful. World Polio Day was October 24th. The Ride to End Polio in Tuscon was November 22nd. 70,000 meters in 22 Days. Could she do it? Oh, and she's 72 years old.
On November 21st, she clocked 71,208 meters!
Her club, Fitchburg Verona Horizons, set a goal of raising $2,000, which will be matched dollar-for-dollar by District Polio Plus Co-Chair Randy Sproule. And then matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A club of 21 active members could raise $8,000.
Will they do it? Find out next month when the donations are tallied.