Hewko: My cause is Rotary’s most important goal today – the eradication of polio.

I had no idea that my life was about to change for the better when I stepped onto a water taxi in Bangkok in May 2012.

Rotary members from around the world were together for the Rotary International Convention, and I happened to be on a boat with Rotarians from Arizona.

They knew I was an avid cyclist, so they told me that Rotary clubs in southern Arizona were supporting polio eradication by raising money with El Tour de Tucson.

That November, I participated in the ride for the first time, and I look forward to returning every year.

For those who are not familiar, El Tour de Tucson is a ride through picturesque Arizona, but it’s no pleasure cruise. It’s an intense 102-mile trek that challenges riders and raises money for a wide variety of great causes.

My cause is Rotary’s most important goal today – the eradication of polio.

Rotary helped launch the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988. At the time, polio’s reach was worldwide. Children are especially susceptible to this horrible disease, which can result in paralysis and sometimes death. Many were skeptical of the idea that we could completely eradicate the disease.

Today, we are closer than ever to proving the skeptics wrong. Polio cases have been reduced by over 99.9 percent worldwide, and it remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

But we still have work to do. “Good enough” is never enough when it comes to protecting future generations. Rotary made a promise to the children of the world and their families—to free them from the grip of polio.

We will keep our promise no matter what, and El Tour de Tucson is helping us get there. To date, Rotary has raised more than $72 million through El Tour in support of polio eradication, and it is part of our global fundraising effort.

Every year, Rotary raises $50 million, with every dollar matched with two additional dollars from the Gates Foundation. We renewed this partnership again this year. If we reach our goal, that will translate into up to a total of $450 million to support the GPEI.

Every dollar we put toward eradicating polio is important. That’s one reason why I personally raised more than $3,500 for polio eradication in 2024 as part of Raise for Rotary.

El Tour allows me to mix my personal passion for cycling with my professional passion to end polio. Every mile I cover will help ensure that no child will ever suffer from polio again.

This ride is more than a workout through a beautiful landscape. It’s a thrilling meeting of worlds for me, and I can’t wait to see what this year’s El Tour brings.

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John Hewko is the general secretary and chief executive officer of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.

John Hewko’s 2025 fundraising page is: 2025 Miles to End Polio – Raise for Rotary.