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ST. CROIX — The normally quiet Sunny Isle amphitheater came alive on Friday evening with all four Rotary Clubs on St. Croix joining forces to host a World Polio Day commemoration. The evening, centered around the global theme “End Polio Now: Every Child, Every Vaccine, Everywhere,” featured poetry reading by entrants from elementary to high school student levels, an educational video, and community engagement announcements designed to raise awareness about polio eradication. World Polio Day is observed annually on Oct. 24, and the Rotary Club of St. Croix, Rotary Club of St. Croix West, Rotary Club of St. Croix Mid-Isle, and Rotary Club of St. Croix Harborside partnered to host Friday’s event. Each Rotary Club representative shared a brief introduction about their club’s history, community projects, and dedication to service prior to the highlight of the evening — student poets expressing their understanding of polio and its impact on the world. “The most effected population of polio is children aged 5 and under, and it causes paralysis. We definitely want to make sure we protect the children,” Cheru Ross, assistant governor of the Rotary Club of St. Croix West, said during remarks. An informational video presented by the clubs noted that “since 1988, we’ve eliminated over 99% of the cases thanks to organizations like this. Now only two countries still have cases of wild polio.” The presidents and secretaries from each club highlighted their ongoing service projects and community partnerships. Kathleen Tuitt, president of the Rotary Club of St. Croix, said it is 67 years old, established on Oct. 25, 1958. “We were the first club on St. Croix, and one of the first in the Caribbean,” she said, before describing community initiatives to include maintaining the beach across from Marley Homes housing community, providing CPR training, and installing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public buildings. Sandra Setorie of Rotary Club of St. Croix West, outlined its ongoing outreach. “We feed the less fortunate in our community out West in collaboration with My Brother’s Table in Frederiksted,” she said of the Thanksgiving event, adding members also visit schools monthly to read to the students.” Jackie Heyliger, president of Rotary Club Mid-Isle, shared the club’s focus on youth empowerment and education, noting it provides various grants to students. “Every year, we offer a grant to a high school graduate,” she said, adding that one of the grants provides $5,000 annually as long as the student maintains a 3.0 average. Representing Rotary Club of St. Croix Harborside was its secretary, Sandra Gerard-Leung, who described its wide-reaching humanitarian efforts, from feeding the less fortunate to youth mentorship at the Youth Rehabilitation Center. “One of our signature projects is working with the youth at the Youth Rehabilitation Center every Thursday evening,” she said, adding the club is involved in “empowerment programs for young girls and collaborations with local organizations on agriculture, literacy, and environmental cleanups. Ross, in the end, summed up the importance of Friday’s commemoration. “We’re different groups, but we’re all one family and we all work together,” she said. “Everyone came up here and said, ‘And that’s not all.’ We do so much more in this community. Another child will be crippled, another family will be destroyed if the polio wild virus escapes again, so we definitely need to make sure we’re 99% there, and we definitely need to make sure we have people who are willing to participate.” During the poetry showcase students from elementary to high school levels shared messages of hope and awareness. Jemeni Bannis, a fourth-grader at St. Patrick’s Catholic School, took home first place in the elementary level with his poem “A World Without Polio.” At the high school level, students from Florence Marsh’s English and Speech classes at St. Croix Educational Complex presented moving pieces about polio. Participants included Azara Augustin, Railah Lockheart, Asundra Poleon, Ahzeira Serrano, Analaeh Flemming, Jaelynn Clarke, and Jenne C. Ragguette. First place in the junior and high school levels went to Ragguette, who received $75 Visa gift cards; second place went to Clarke, who received a $50 Visa gift card; and third place when to Flemming, who received a $25 Visa gift card.
