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Show Polio Director Returns; Gives Report On Trip With a staggering total of over 45,000 new and old polio cases now requiring medical care, the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, through its local chapters chap-ters and the March of Dimes, is preparing its greatest appeal for support, according to Howard E. Willis, of Springville, Utah county campaign director, who returned .Sunday evening from Denver, Colo., where he attended a western west-ern division convention of campaign cam-paign directors. Upon his return he gave the following report: "For four straight years polio epidemics have swept the country, piling up 133,000 cases, or an average of over 33,000 cases a year. The result re-sult has been a terrific carry-over of patients who are struggling to overcome the after-effects of the crippling disease. During all this critical time, the National Foundation has endeav-order endeav-order to live up to its promise to the people that no case shall be denied adequate care because of lack of funds. The load has been so very heavy, however, that the National Foundation has plunged into debt each year to the extent of five or six millions. Therefore, we are unanimously determined to set our sights much higher than ever before. The coming of the March of Dimes will open on January 2, and will continue con-tinue through January 31. instead of opening January 15th as has been the custom. The American people, we feel sure, will support this expanded program. Late figures on polio- cases this year show a total of 23,855 cases throughout the nation. Mr. Willis pointed to the fact that the disease has taken its toll of Springville children, and that this community, with every other city in the state, should be prepared pre-pared to assist in the coming campaign. cam-paign. The funds derived through contributions, con-tributions, Mr. Willis pointed out, go mostly for treatment of the disease, and where families are not able to pay expense of the treatment, the expense is taken over by the National Foundation. It is the only campaign which promises direct treatment of the diseaset through contributions made by the people, it is pointed out. |
