Spencer Trask Joins UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Support 5th Annual World Polio Day

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Oct 23, 2017, 13:04 ET

GREENWICH, Conn., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Spencer Trask & Co., a privately held business and technology development firm, today announced it will again join UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a sponsor of World Polio Day on Oct. 24, 2017. This is the fifth year of the event hosted by Rotary International.

World Polio Day is an opportunity for the 33,000 Rotary clubs around the world to focus on the eradication of polio. Rotary has been working on this international service project for decades with great success. A live stream of the event will begin at 6:00 p.m. ET via www.endpolio.org. Guests include Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners, celebrity ambassadors, polio survivors, and others. Spencer Trask & Co. Chairman Kevin Kimberlin has been personally supportive of the eradication of polio since joining forces with renowned polio vaccine hero Dr. Jonas Salk in 1986.

"It's a privilege to be a part of this monumental effort," said Kimberlin. "We're on the cusp of total eradication of one of history's most feared diseases. This event is a testament to the hard work and dedication of those individuals and organizations who have been working toward this end since Jonas Salk developed the first polio vaccine -- the standard of care around the world today."

Rotary has contributed more than $1 billion toward polio eradication, funds which are tripled thanks to a 2:1 match by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

About Rotary International
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. Visit www.rotary.org and www.endpolio.org for more about Rotary and its efforts to eradicate polio.

About Spencer Trask & Co.
Spencer Trask & Co. is a privately held business development company. The firm works with entrepreneurs and corporate partners to start and grow high impact ventures that change the world. Spencer Trask & Co. has been instrumental in the formative stage of companies that pioneered many technological advances scientific advancements in the field of genomics, healthcare, mobile technology, global communications and open innovation. Please visit www.SpencerTraskCo.com for additional information.

SOURCE Spencer Trask & Co.