Beiruting News

Saida Rotary Club gains a global appeal with the support of international and specialized organizations
Rotary Club of Saida illuminates the monumental Sea Castle with the slogan "End Polio Now"


Beirut, November, 2012: In light of the dangers behind polio and the international role that the Rotary Club is playing in this regards, the Saida Rotary Club lit up the renowned archeological site- Sea Castle-in Saida with the slogan, "End Polio Now" in the pursuit of spreading awareness about the importance of polio vaccination.


Many international and specialized organizations have supported this initiative namely the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UNICEF thanks to the provision of the local ministry of Health and the Saida municipality. For the second time in a row in Lebanon, this initiative took place whereby the slogan "End Polio Now" lit up the skies of Saida and specifically its seaside archeological site.


This event attracted a number of officials, diplomats and public figures including H.E. Maura Conelli, the American Ambassador to Lebanon, an official Representative of the Minister of Health and several Deputies of the Saida area, thanks to the efforts exerted by the representatives of the various civic, local and international bodies. Also, a considerable number of high ranking individuals from both the cultural and health sectors turned out at the event along a crowd of Rotary Club members from Lebanon. This initiative was then followed by a cocktail reception in Saida's Resthouse.


This incentive is rooted in a long awareness program led by the Rotary Club targeting the Saida residents in specific and the Lebanese society at large in the hopes of eradicating the polio disease. The Rotary Club insisted on collaboratively working on this campaign with the various international organizations by lighting up various famous archaeological sites around the world such as the infamous Coliseum inRome, the Sydney Opera House, the London Bridge in Great Britain, the Pyramids in the Egypt as well as the Jbeil fortress.


In light of the launching event, Mrs. Bana Kobrosly announced, "The awareness program for the polio disease has been one of the most important humanitarian initiatives that the Rotary Clubs have beenadopting around the world for more than a quarter century now. With the collaboration of international organizations in the health and civic sectors, we are still fighting to end the polio disease throughoutthe world. We wanted to highlight Lebanon's role by illuminating the Saida Sea Castle. 

Moreover, we wanted to showcase Saida as a strategic hub for the program given that it is one of the beneficiary locations since the founders of the program have provided vaccines along the years to hundreds of thousands of children in this region. The fight against polio in Saida has gained an international appeal thanks to Saida's long geographical history placing it as one of the oldest cities in the world. 

This event has been viewed from around the world and specifically from the countries hosting various Rotary Clubs."