• In Scotland, several historic buildings, including Culzean Castle, are being briefly illuminated with the "End Polio Now" message on consecutive nights.

• Purple Pinkie Week begins Feb. 23 in the United Kingdom. Rotary members will solicit donations in exchange for a spot of purple dye on each donor's pinkie finger. That's how Rotary volunteers and health workers in developing countries record that a child has received the oral polio vaccine.

• Rotary clubs working with the Singapore postal service have arranged for the release of official postage stamps carrying the polio eradication theme and other Rotary messages.

• A team of 12 South Korean Rotary members, accompanied by Korean journalists, will travel to India the week of Feb. 23 to help immunize thousands of children.

  Rome, Italy

Rotary club members worldwide have contributed more than $800 million and countless volunteer hours to the effort and are now eagerly working to raise the $200 million in response to $355 million in challenge grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The money is needed to help close a funding gap that could undermine two decades of progress.