Prior Lake, MN – On Wednesday, March 2, Prior Lake Rotarian Kyle Haugen was awarded the International Service Award for a Polio-Free World for 2021-2022 by Rotary International in recognition of significant active personal service toward the goal of polio eradication. He was 1 of only 8 Rotarians or Rotaractors worldwide to receive this competitive award.
Congratulations, Kyle!
Prior Lake, MN – On Wednesday, March 2, Prior Lake Rotarian Kyle Haugen was awarded the International Service Award for a Polio-Free World for 2021-2022 by Rotary International in recognition of significant active personal service toward the goal of polio eradication. He was 1 of only 8 Rotarians or Rotaractors worldwide to receive this competitive award.
Haugen, a Prior Lake Rotarian since October 2003, has been a passionate champion and supporter of polio eradication, Rotary International’s signature project. Since 1988, Rotary and its partners have reduced the number of wild poliovirus cases by over 99.99%. Back in 1988, there were 350,000 global cases in 125 countries. Last year, there were 5 total wild poliovirus cases in just two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Haugen joined Rotary District 5960's Polio Plus Team once he joined Rotary. His passion for Rotary's signature project was seen at the Club level as his Club perennially leads all District Clubs in funds raised for Polio Plus. As District Governor in the 2017-2018 year, the District had one of its best fundraising years for Polio Plus, coming in at just over $116k. Following his term as District Governor, Haugen moved into the Rotary Foundation Team Lead role for his District in 2019. In that year, District 5960 saw its highest year for Polio Plus giving ever at over $135K.
Haugen has been sought after as a polio presenter due to his knowledge and passion for polio eradication. He has presented to numerous clubs in his years as a Rotarian. In 2019, Kyle and his wife Carrie went on a National Immunization Day in India. It was the fulfillment of something he had wanted to do ever since he became a Rotarian. His message to Clubs when he returned gave a first-hand account of how The Rotary Foundation promotes positive peace, and how disease prevention and polio eradication are a big part of that.
About the award, Haugen said, “This is special and it’s a testament to the foundation that’s been laid by our club as well because our club encourages people to get involved and to understand what Rotary is all about and to make a difference. And there’s no bigger difference that we make as Rotarians than in the eradication of polio.”
About Rotary and District 5960
Rotary’s vision is “Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, in our community, across the globe, and in ourselves.” We do this through a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Our mission is to advance world peace and understanding, goodwill and peace through improved health, the support of education and alleviation of poverty. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 35,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Within District 5960, which includes much of south east and east metro Minnesota in addition to 6 counties in western Wisconsin, there are 60 clubs focused on humanitarian service. Locally, the Rotary Club of Prior Lake members provide both hands on skills and financial support for sustainable projects to improve our community. Our work improves lives at both the local and international levels including our continuing work toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit www.priorlakerotary.org or Rotary5960.org.
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