Goodyear Blimp Aids End Polio Now Campaign
February 23rd marked Rotary's 105th anniversary and was recognized with commemorative events around the world. Not wanting to be left behind, several District 5280 Rotarians teamed up to ensure
"When Shirley Giltzow was unable to obtain permission to illuminate the Walt Disney Hall with the End Polio Now logo in commemoration
of Rotary's 105th annivertsary, I suggested she try someone in the Carson-Gardena Rotary Club who had contact with the Goodyear Operations folks," said PDG Rick Mendoza. "Sure enough the current president, Walter Neil made a call and in a flash we had permission to display the logo on the side of the airship. Gov Susanne, Shirley, Walter Neil and I met at the airship location on Wednesday evening but the weather was not conducive to fly the airship that evening.
"The next evening, the Goodyear Airship flew for nearly three hours over the LA Basin," Mondoza continued. "And, with the superb cooperation of the pilot, Matthew St John, the blimp flew over the Peninsula where I could capture some evening images of it while in flight. He even circled a time or two to give me ample opportunity to capture some shots."
In addition to the Goodyear blimp, other landmarks, buildings, and bridges worldwide were lit up with the End Polio Now logo. Among them: the RI World Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois; the Wrigley Building in Chicago; the Pyramid of Khafre in Egypt; the Taipei Arena in Taiwan; the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain; the Old Port Captain's Office on the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa; the Obelisk of Buenos Aires, Argentina; the Royal Palace at Caserta in Italy, and more. A skydiver even carried a large End Polio Now banner over the Amazon River in