Oskaloosa Rotary Club Announces First Annual Peddle for Polio

Pedal For Polio

Oskaloosa – June 4, 2012 – The Oskaloosa Rotary Club has developed a fundraising event to be kicked off at the new Rotary Gateway Trailhead on the west end of town. The trailhead was a project lead by the Oskaloosa Rotary Club, and many community groups and businesses were also involved.

“After completing the Gazebo, we had the idea for a dedication ceremony and this event grew from that idea. We wanted to create an event that provides healthy fun for our community using the rec. trail,” said Rob Taylor, past Club President.

The First Annual Peddle for Polio will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 14th. Registration will open at 8 a.m. at the Gateway Nazarene Church parking lot. “The event will start at the Rotary Gateway Trailhead with a brief dedication ceremony and then we will send the bikers off from there,” said Jill Brumbaugh, Club President. The planned route will be the entire recreation trail (or less at the discretion of individual bikers).

Bikers will receive a water bottle and a wrist band. Early registration fees are $10 per individual and $20 per family (with a limit of 2 water bottles). Add $5 for registration after June 18th. Mahaska Community Recreation Foundation (MCRF) will provide trail tours for people interested in supporting the event who are not able to ride bicycles. You must register in advance for the trail tours and space is limited.

All proceeds from the event will be donated to Polio Plus, the Rotary International campaign to end Polio. In the 1980s, polio infected more than 350,000 children annually. In 2009, there were less than 1,700 cases of Polio reported worldwide. The polio cases represented by that final 1% are the most difficult and expensive to prevent.

For more information about the event or Oskaloosa Rotary Club, contact Jill Brumbaugh at 641.672.2523 or go online to www.oskaloosarotary.org.