RUMFORD — Lawrence K. Furbish, Polio Plus chairman for Rotary District 7780 of New England, was guest speaker at the River Valley Rotary Club fellowship luncheon on Oct. 23.

He spoke on the fight to end polio throughout the world by the combined efforts of organizations of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, CDC, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Rotary International.

There are three types of polio, he said. Type 1 is still active and as of 2015 there are less than 100 cases reported and that is in one country; Type 2, which was eradicated in 1999; and Type 3, which was last seen in 2012.

Since 1998 the River Valley Rotary Club has raised $14,685 toward the fight to end polio, and the Rotary Clubs  of District 7780 have raised $1,159,981, which was matched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Lawrence Furbish, left, and Dave Duguay, River Valley Rotary Club past president.