World Polio Day 2026 LIVE from Durham College

ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026 - 06:00 pm to 8:15 pm - the  9 Durham Region Rotary Clubs invite YOU to join us LIVE IN-PERSON OR LIVE ON-LINE in the Rotary Global Classroom in the Centre for Collaborative Education at Durham College where we will celebrate World Polio Day with leaders from around the world, hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Oshawa and Oshawa-Parkwood, and Durham College. 

BE PART OF THE LIVE IN-PERSON AUDIENCE IN THE ROTARY GLOBAL CLASSROOM STARTING AT 5:45 PM - ONLY 100 SEATS AVAILABLE:  REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN  : Cash bar and a light lunch will be served. NEW COST OF $ 40 per person (and a portion of that amount - $ 10.00 - will be donated to The Rotary Foundation's Polio Plus Fund and will be credited to your next Paul Harris Fellow) (to be paid at the door). Spouses, guests and prospective members are invited. 

Starting at 7 PM, District 7070 will broadcast our event live to Rotary Clubs around the world and to Universities and colleges worldwide.

There will be Proclamations from Cities in Durham Region and also from Durham Region given out to our 9 Rotary clubs together with flag raising ceremonies shown on the big screen. Here is the link: https://durhamcollege.ca/globalclass/class/world-polio-day-2026/

ALREADY CONFIRMED: We will hear from Yinka Babalola (Rotary International President 2026-27  by video. 

Together, our Rotary International leaders will update us about Rotary's very latest efforts with our Global Polio Eradication initiative Partners to End Polio Now. They will also participate in a panel discussion, moderated by Joe Solway and Sonya Chouljian: What can we do to eradicate polio from the planet - Rotary's promise to the children of the world in 1988?

IF YOU CANNOT BE PART OF THE LIVE AUDIENCE, PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE LIVE BROADCAST AT 7:00 PM.

See the story in the Rotary District 7070 Newsletters, starting in August, September and October for all of the details of the 2026 World Polio Day. 

 

IN PERSON EVENT: PLEASE ARRIVE AROUND 5:45 PM, join your Rotary friends, have a light luncheon buffet, enjoy the cash bar, and get to your seats. Parking Lot will be assigned to us soon.

Location: The Rotary Global Classroom, Centre For Collaborative Education, Durham College, 2018 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Via a brief video, we will see Durham Regional Chair John Henry (and a proud member of the Rotary Club of Oshawa) proclaim World Polio Day In All Of Durham Region And Honours The 9 Rotary Clubs of Durham Region : Oshawa, Oshawa-Parkwood, Whitby, Whitby-Sunrise,  Ajax, Pickering, Port Perry, Uxbridge, Bowmanville), and Liz Compton, District 7070 Governor as they raise the End polio Now Flag over Durham Region headquarters. The 9 Rotary Club Presidents will also receive proclamations,  from Durham Regional Chair John Henry. 

The event will be attended by Rotarians from the 9 Rotary Clubs in Durham Region  and many Rotarians from southern Ontario and around the world as we livestream the event to the Durham College Global Class network of colleges worldwide and to Rotarians all over the world.

Join us as we broadcast LIVE with Rotary International leaders in the eradication of polio, as they update Rotary efforts and what it will take for Rotarians to help eradicate polio from our planet, during our livestream of the 2026 Rotary International World Polio Day broadcast .

“We encourage everyone to join us on October 15, 2026 starting at 7:00 pm by going to a link that will soon be established for the 2026 World Polio Day LIVE from the Rotary Global Classroom at Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario CANADA," Past District Governor Ron Dick added

During the World Polio Day event, we will be showing everyone ,Rotary International's new 2024 World Polio Day videos. We’ll be streaming them live. 

Oshawa-Parkwood Rotary Past President Dave Andrews noted, “In many cities all over the world, October 24, 2026 will be proclaimed World Polio Day in honour of Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio from the world. Rotarians will be gathering at city and town halls to acknowledge October 24 as World Polio Day, and to reconfirm our deep commitment to Eradicate Polio from the face of the earth.”

The world is on the verge of eliminating one of the most dreaded diseases of the 20th century -- poliomyelitis. During the first half of the 20th century, polio crippled over a half a million people every year. Even this year, children in some developing countries continue to fall victim to the disease - only 14, as of July 8, 2026. But thanks in large part to Rotary International and to the 1.4 million Rotary members worldwide, including the 10 Durham Region Rotary Clubs , the disease will soon be all but a memory.

As World Polio Day draws closer, the world is 99.9% polio-free, but the fight to end polio is not over and Rotary Clubs worldwide continue to raise funds to meet the challenge.

Since Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, 39 years ago, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, from about 350,000 children paralyzed due to polio every year.

Oshawa Rotary Past District Governor Ron Dick said, “Since 1985, Rotary members world-wide have contributed nearly US$ 2.3 billion to help immunize more than 2.9 billion children against polio, and we have helped secure over US$ 8.0 billion from donor governments world-wide.

Coinciding with World Polio Day, Rotary is ramping up its advocacy work in the 200 countries and regions where Rotary clubs exist to encourage every national government to commit to the funding levels needed to close the gap.”

“Events like this are happening all over the world on October 24 and throughout this week. Right here in our own Rotary District, in southern Ontario, Canada, flag raising ceremonies will be held in  Markham, Richmond Hill, and other towns and cities in southern Ontario. Oshawa Flag raising will be during World Polio Week in October at Oshawa City Hall, and the Durham region flag raising for all 10 Rotary Clubs during World Polio Week at Regional Headquarters in Whitby, Ontario. There will be a flag raising ceremony at City Hall in Toronto right in the heart of the city, the home to the 2018 Rotary International Convention and in the evening, we will also be lighting up the CN Tower, The Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto, and even Niagara Falls in red, white, and yellow , the colours of Rotary's End Polio Now campaign, to raise awareness to our cause and efforts in eradicating this disease,” he added.

 

“We encourage everyone to join us live in-person in The Rotary Global Classroom at Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario Canada (we have room for 100 people) on October 15, 2026 starting at 6:00 pm eastern Time, to see what Rotary is doing to keep our promise to the children of the world – to eradicate polio” , Past District Governor Ron Dick added.

OR

Attention Rotarians, Rotaractors and your guests: If you wish to attend, please register on the Rotary District 7070 website (under this event) TODAY or email dave.f.andrews99@gmail.com and he will register you. NEW COST IS $40.00 (to be paid at the door). A light lunch and cash bar are available. Free Parking in a lot which will be determined soon.