The 32^nd Rotary Central Charter Night & Foundation Gala was celebrated last Saturday evening, at the Ristorante Pappagallo, with center stage focus on Polio eradication.

Guest Speaker Ramesh Ferris flew in from Canada to share, his personal experience as a Polio Survivor with Rotary Central as we celebrated 32 years as a club in service to the Cayman Islands.

Mr. Ferris, a resident of Whitehorse Yukon, made his way to the podium in dramatic fashion, unaided by crutches and braces, to take command of those in attendance, giving a soft, but riveting recount of his journey as child who contracted Polio at age 3 in his native India. Ramesh faced severe challenges on his way to later become part of a  Canadian family as an adopted child in 1983.  The qualified Sociologist and Clinician now practicing mediation on behalf of person injured in the work place in his daily, professional life, has triumphed against all odds to become an advocate in his spare time, for the eradication of Polio.

During his delivery he related harrowing accounts shaping his life on the way up to adulthood, revealing a spirit of calculated determination to succeed and live as normal a life as is possible. Underpinning his message of hope is  this somber tenet, “If Polio is not eradicated in the next 5 years 200,000 children will become victims of polio…creating domino effect cost exceeding $10 million to mitigate.  In 1980 1,000 children contracted Polio. Today Polio has a presence in only two countries presently with only 22 cases this year. We can end Polio Now. ”

This messenger of hope who has overcome significant physical and mental challenges, underwent numerous major surgeries, to manage the feat of hand cycling across Canada, and carry the End Polio message to countless heads of state and world leaders including: Her majesty Queen Elizabeth II, former Secretary General of The United Nations Ban Ki Moon, Bill Gates, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, His Holiness the Dalia Lama, Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr. Adhanom Tedros.

Ramesh has delivered End Polio Now messages to delegates at the United Nations, Rotary International Conventions, Rotary Zone Institutes and District Conferences. He has traveled with this message to Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Canada, the USA, South Africa, India, Puerto Rico and now here in Cayman.

Assistant District Governor David Kirkaldy, President of Rotary Central Cayman Islands, William Inniss, Rotary Director, Marzeta Bodden, and Rotary Past Presidents greeted Rotarians, Rotaractors and guests as the formal occasion embraced the messages delivered by Ramesh.

During his whirlwind visit to the Cayman Islands he was able to experience a tour of the Cayman Turtle Centre, meeting with Director Timmy Adam, visit Hell and enjoy an excursion to Stingray City.

The Charter Night Gala raised funds towards Rotary Foundation and the End Polio now programme.

Rotary Central Cayman Islands is a part of Rotary District 7020 which has contributed $2m since 1985 in the quest to End Polio Now.