Hewko: Polio anywhere is a threat everywhere which is why support to end it is more important than ever

By John Hewko, Rotary International

Somewhere around mile 80 – of the 102-miles of El Tour de Tucson –  my legs start making a very persuasive case for stopping. That’s when I remind myself that any discomfort I feel is
nothing compared to what a child paralyzed by polio endures for a lifetime.

On Nov. 21, I’ll ride El Tour for the 14th time, alongside fellow Rotary members,
staff, and friends who share one goal: ending polio for good. I’ve ridden in sunshine, in
bitter cold, and once in a downpour that had us wading through knee-deep water. My
times have slowed a bit since my hip replacement, and these days I’m happy to finish
the ride strong rather than fast.

But my reason for riding hasn’t changed.

Rotary has led the fight against polio since 1985 and helped launch the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative in 1988. Back then, polio paralyzed an estimated 350,000 children
a year in 125 countries. Today, cases have fallen by more than 99.9 percent, and wild
poliovirus remains endemic in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

El Tour has become an important part of that story. Rotary is one of El Tour’s largest
fundraisers, and El Tour is, in turn, one of Rotary’s largest fundraising events for polio
eradication. To date, Rotary members have raised more than $77 million through the
ride, and every dollar Rotary raises for polio is matched two-to-one by our partners.

Why should a cyclist in Tucson care about a disease that can seem so far away?

Because polio anywhere is a threat everywhere. The virus doesn’t respect borders; it
travels with people. The Americas were certified polio-free more than three decades
ago, yet in 2022 a young man in New York was paralyzed by polio.

Last year, the virus turned up in wastewater in Hamburg, Germany. As long as polio
exists anywhere, children everywhere — including here at home — are at risk. Every
vaccination campaign in Pakistan and Afghanistan is also an investment in keeping our
own communities polio-free.

The final stretch of any long ride is the hardest, and the same is true of eradication.
Polio programs today operate amid broader global health challenges, from reduced
funding to competing government priorities. That makes sustained financial and political
support more important than ever.

If we let up now, the virus could resurge and undo decades of progress. When we finish the job, polio will become only the second human disease ever eradicated, and the benefits will last for generations.

This year, the Rotary team has set a goal of raising $1 million for polio eradication,
and I am personally fundraising through my Raise for Rotary page, 2026 Miles to End
Polio.

Every gift helps, whatever its size.

So whether you’re riding alongside me, cheering at the finish line, or supporting from
afar, I hope you’ll join me. Fourteen rides in, I’m more determined than ever to see this through. Together, we will end polio.

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John Hewko is the general secretary and chief executive officer of Rotary International
and The Rotary Foundation.
John Hewko’s 2026 fundraising page is: 2026 Miles to End Polio – Raise for Rotary.