MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – Five adventurers cycled from Musina to Louis Trichardt on June 30 as part of the first stage of their ride from Beit Bridge to Cape Point. Their ride forms part of the PolioPlus project of Rotary International to eradicate polio completely by the year 2005.

The speedy riders arrived in town at 13:20, long before their expected time. Four of them are twenty years and younger, with one veteran of 41 years old. Before they departed to Polokwane on Tuesday (1st), they met with the Mayor, Councillor Brighton Tlakula, the President of the local Rotary Club, Mr Johann du Plessis and several local, provincial and national officials from the Department of Health and Welfare.

The PolioPlus ride to Cape Point, which will take seventeen days, is organised by the Rotary Club in Haenertsburg and Stanford Lake College. It is primarily an awareness campaign and the riders are being accompanied by two support vehicles and Rotary Clubs provide accommodation along the way.

PolioPlus is probably the most ambitious humanitarian project undertaken by a service organisation. Rotary International has used the funds collected for PolioPlus (over US$400 million to date) for the purchasing and distribution of polio vaccines and the mobilisation and training of health workers and volunteers to immunise children around the world. The success rate of PolioPlus has been astounding. Since its inception in 1985, polio incidence worldwide has declined by 99%.

Donations towards polio eradication can be made to the Haenertsburg Rotary Club (FNB Account Number 6204533711, Tzaneen, Branch Code 260-349) or any Rotary Club in the country.