Posted by Suzanne Gibson on Nov 03, 2019

Barbara Blane Toney, daughter of beloved Rotarian Jack Blane has announced The Jack B. Blane Gift for PolioPlus—a $500,000 donation to the PolioPlus Fund. The first $100,000 has been released to the Rotary Club of Wheeling and the club will receive full credit for the donation.  The funds will be matched 2:1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for a total of $1.5 Million dollars!  The gift was announced to the International PolioPlus Committee on World Polio Day at Rotary International. Family members attending the surprise announcement  at the regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Wheeling were John Blane, Jack's son, and Tony Guerra, Jack's son-in-law.  Also attending the ceremony were Wheeling Club President Bruce Piepenbrink. District Governor Suzanne Gibson and Harvey Newcomb III, Director of Principal Gifts, TRF.

We are indebted to the Blane family for their continued dedication to the eradication of Polio--a cause so very dear to the heart of Jack Blane. It is the family's hope that District Rotarians will be inspired by Jack's generosity and give freely to the PolioPlus Fund.