THE WALK TO BEAT POLIO - 1,007 km from Seville to Santiago de Compostela, Spain


THE PLAN

Rotarian Hans Wiesner, a member of the Rotary Club of Red Deer East in Alberta, Canada will walk the Via de la Plata, a 1,007 km trail from Seville in the south to Santiago de Compostela in the northwest corner of Spain.

THE PURPOSE

To raise money for Rotary’s final push to wipe out polio worldwide. Every dollar raised goes to PolioPlus.

THE TIMING

The Walk will begin October 6, 2008. Walking at an average of 25 km/ day it will take about 6 weeks. (In 2007, Hans walked the Camino Frances, a distance of 866 km at an average rate of 30 km per day).

UPDATES

You can follow Hans’ progress on his website now up and running.


HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS FUNDRAISER

You can pledge your support in several different ways:
1. Per kilometre: e.g. $1 per km for a total of $1,007.
2. Per 10 kilometres: e.g. $1 per 10 km for a total of $100.70.
3. Per “step”!!
• Hans takes an average of 1,300 steps per kilometre.
• A trip of 1,007 kilometres will total approximately 1,309,100 steps.
• At one penny per step that would be a very generous donation to PolioPlus of $13,091. Rotary and PolioPlus thank you!
• Alternatively $1 per 1,000 steps for a total of $1,309.10.
4. Any dollar amount of your choice.

WHAT YOUR DONATION CAN DO

• A contribution of $135 will buy a bicycle to distribute vaccine to villages
• A contribution of $200 will buy 10,000 pamphlets to inform the public about an upcoming immunization campaign

• A contribution of $1,000 will buy 700 vaccine carriers to ensure the oral polio vaccine is maintained at the correct temperature.


All contributions to PolioPlus are eligible for Paul Harris Recognition.

All donations above $20 are eligible for a tax receipt from The Rotary Foundation.

**PLEASE MAKE YOUR CHEQUE PAYABLE TO 'THE ROTARY FOUNDATION'**

Send your cheque to the address below and make sure you include your mailing address so you can get a tax receipt:
The Walk to Beat Polio
c/o Hans Wiesner
R. R. #2
Lacombe, Alberta
CANADA T4L 2N2

You can email us at: walktobeatpolio@xplornet.com
Watch for more details in the August issue of The Rotarian.

Check this blog for updates and also check out the Walk To Beat Polio website

(For those who are interested, Hans walked east-west across Spain last year on the more common Camino Frances route. It's shorter at 760 km with an optional 90 km to walk to Finisterre, "the end of the earth". You can see photos if you go to the archives on this blog and click on December 2007.)

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