SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the Rotary Clubs of Tahoe Douglas and South Lake Tahoe will host a special evening presentation to the public at Bally’s Lake Tahoe focused on the global fight to eradicate polio, featuring a powerful artifact from medical history: an actual iron lung.

The headline speaker will be Rotary Past District Governor David Gallagher, a nationally recognized Rotarian with nearly four decades of service and extensive international humanitarian experience. Gallagher will speak about polio’s devastating impact prior to vaccines, Rotary International’s leadership over the past 35 years in the global eradication effort, and why the mission is not finished until the disease is eliminated everywhere.

An iron lung will be on display during the event. Once a lifesaving device for polio patients whose respiratory muscles were paralyzed, the iron lung has become a sobering symbol of an era most people today have never experienced.

“Polio has no cure,” Gallagher notes. “Vaccines are what stopped iron lungs from filling hospitals. Rotary’s work hasreduced polio cases worldwide by more than 99 percent, but until the last case is gone, the job isn’t done.”

The event is open to the public. Tickets are $25 and include dinner, free parking, and the presentation. No tickets will be available at the door.

Reservations are only available online and must be made on or before March 10, 2026. Click here: TD Rotary Dinner Program- “Fighting Polio – Progress and Challenges.” Rotary International has led the global fight against polio through its End Polio Now initiative and collaborates with the United Nations and the Gates Foundation in its polio eradication efforts.

With over 35,000 clubs and 1.2 to 1.4 million members worldwide, Rotary remains a cornerstone of international humanitarian service. The Tahoe Douglas Rotary Club is based in Stateline, Nevada. The South Lake Tahoe Club is based in South Lake Tahoe
Tahoe. They serve the South Lake Tahoe community through local and international service projects. To learn more about Tahoe Douglas Rotary Club, or if you’re interested in getting involved, visit portal.clubrunner.ca/8368. To learn more about the South Lake Tahoe Rotary Club, visit portal.clubrunner.ca/8467.

Event Details
Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, NV
Cost: $25 includes dinner
Reservations and Tickets (deadline 3/10/2026): TD Rotary Dinner Program- “Fighting Polio – Progress and Challenges“