Brora monument turns purple for polio

Clyne War Memorial at Brora, is being floodlit purple from Thursday to Saturday to mark World Polio Day.

Purple filters have been applied to the existing floodlights to bathe the monument in colour.

East Sutherland Rotary Club organised the lighting revamp with technical assistance from local lighting expert John MacLeod and others.

Rotarians world wide have long fundraised to achieve the aim of eradicating polio through a vaccination programme and the colour purple is associated with that campaign.

President Alistair Risk estimates that the club alone has raised more than £30,000 towards the cause. Every £1 raised is matched on a two to one basis by the Gates Foundation and the Rotary Foundation so the real total is much higher.

One of its major fundraisers is its annual swimarathon. How the 2021 event will be held given the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus is presently under consideration.

Efforts to eradicate polio are bearing fruit with Africa last year declared free of wild polio for the first time in its history. The disease is now only found in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Mr Risk said: “Floodlighting the war memorial is a win-win because it helps us get our message across and it also attracts attention ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

World Polio Day is on Saturday.

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