NORTHBROOK, Ill. — The Zengeler family just reached another milestone with their support of Rotary International: the two Zengeler leaders have been active Rotarians for 85 years combined, the company notes.
Bob Zengeler, the former president of Zengeler Cleaners, became a charter member of Libertyville (Ill.) Rotary 55 years ago. Tom Zengeler, Bob’s son and the current president, is a charter member of Libertyville Rotary — Sunrise. That chapter was formed in 1987, giving Tom 30 years of service.
“One of the hallmarks of Rotary is that they continuously look for new ways to improve the well-being of people throughout the world,” he says.
“One high-profile example was their leadership in the fight to eradicate polio worldwide,” he points out. “A three-decades long battle that has brought the world closer and closer to eradicating this debilitating disease.”
That effort recently received a giant boost, Zengeler notes.
“Going forward, the Gates Foundation will match two-to-one, up to $35 million per year, every dollar Rotary commits to reduce the funding shortfall for polio eradication through 2018,” says Jeff Raikes, the foundation's chief executive officer.
The joint effort, called “End Polio Now — Make History Today,” comes during a critical phase for the “Global Polio Eradication Initiative.” The estimated cost of the initiative’s 2013-18 is $5.5 billion, Zengeler writes.
Funding commitments, announced at the “Global Vaccine Summit” earlier this year, total $4 billion. Unless the $1.5 billion funding gap is met, immunization levels in polio-affected countries will decrease.
If polio is allowed to rebound, within a decade, more than 200,000 children worldwide could be paralyzed every year, writes Zengeler.
This 110-year old worldwide organization provides humanitarian service, he notes, approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 35,000 clubs in more than 200 countries.
“Rotary International is a wonderful example of the type of organization Zengeler Cleaners loves to support,” says Tom Zengeler.
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