Buildings in Bangor will turn purple this week as part of Bangor Rotary Club’s initiative event to “Light up the Menai Strait Purple” to publicise the ‘End Polio Now’ international disease eradication campaign.

From Monday 22 October – Friday 26 October, each night at dusk, key buildings along the Menai Strait will be illuminated with purple floodlights, including Bangor University Main Arts Building and Bangor Cathedral.

Polio is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease. There is no cure, but there are safe and effective vaccines. Polio can be prevented through immunization and The World Health Organisation’s strategy is to eradicate polio by immunizing every child until transmission stops and the world is polio-free.

On Wednesday 24th October, World Polio Day, the Pontio Building in Bangor will be joining in the chain of purple light with additional spectacular projections screened on their walls. On this night, the Mayors of Bangor, Caernarfon and Beaumaris will be supporting this exciting event at their local sites, and will join Rotarians from local clubs who will be at information stands – on the Maes in Caernarfon, near the castle in Caernarfon and by the Cathedral in Bangor (by Pontio on Wednesday 24th) from 6-9pm throughout the week: information can be obtained and donations made at these points, as well as by texting BRPP18 followed by £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 to 70070” (JustTextGiving by Vodafone)

Caernarfon Castle and Beaumaris Castle will also glow purple and other waterside venues will also glow brightly: Plas Menai water sports school, the Gazelle Hotel and the Bulkeley Hotel, Beaumaris have also agreed to turn their floodlights purple for this extremely worthy cause.

The general public can similarly get involved and add their own purple lights to show support, or even organise a fund-raising event to help the polio immunisation programme. For every £1 donated, 5 children can be vaccinated and kept safe from polio and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will add another £2 for every £1 raised.

For further information or offers of support please contact: Bangor Rotary Club Secretary at 07754 177740 or email secretarybangor@gmail.com. You can also visit Facebook – Purple4Polio -Lighting up the Straits

Photo: Barrie Freeman