This weekend, Loveland, Colo., known as a vital regional healthcare hub for Northern Colorado (with one of its hospitals—UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies—ranked No. 2 in Colorado last year), will host two significant public health celebrations at Rotary’s 2025 District 5440 Conference. During these times when public concerns about the future of global immunization efforts and the future of medical research have been heightened by recent events, Rotary has shown its continuing commitment to improving global public health through various initiatives, including polio eradication, disease prevention, and maternal and child health.
That focus on educating and equipping communities to improve the health of its citizens will first be spotlighted on Friday afternoon, June 13th, when keynote speakers Nancy Barbee and Colleen Bonadonna, End Polio Now Coordinators for Rotary International, will bring their cross-country event, Journey to Zero – End Polio Now Torch Tour to the conference venue, the Embassy Suites in Loveland. This dedicated duo has been traversing the nation since early this year, with the goal of carrying the End Polio Now Torch (modeled after the Olympic torch) all the way from the East Coast to the Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Canada, later this month. This fundraising journey has the goal of raising $1 million for global polio eradication by next year.
“Every mile we travel represents a commitment to making a difference in a child’s life,” said Ms. Bonadonna. Her call to action to all Rotarians has been this: “With your support, we can ignite change in communities and in funding initiatives. Your participation in the local events and in sharing our mission will help spread the word… Together, we can light the way for those in need and inspire others to join our cause.”
The second exciting health-related event at the conference will be on Saturday afternoon, June 14th, when Thompson Valley EMS and Loveland Fire and Rescue Authority will host a very special presentation on the HEARTSafe life-saving initiative for communities in which the goal is to educate and empower every citizen with the knowledge and skills needed to identify SCA (sudden cardiac arrest) symptoms, perform lifesaving CPR, and use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) effectively. Following the presentation, upwards of 100 Rotarians will receive hands-on training in performing CPR and using AEDs to save the life of anyone who is the victim of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
Thompson Valley EMS has been partnering with the McKee Wellness Foundation, McKee Medical Center, the CardioVascular Institute of Northern Colorado, the Loveland Police Department, Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, and the City of Loveland’s emergency dispatch services department, to give Loveland the distinction of becoming a “HEARTSafe Community.”
The Loveland Rotary Club—home club to this year’s District Governor Julie Johnson Haffner—will host hundreds of Rotarians and community members from across Northern Colorado, Wyoming, Teton Valley, and Scottsbluff, Nebraska, for the 2025 District Conference: Experience the Magic of Rotary! The three-day experience, from Thursday, June 12 to Saturday, June 14, promises a powerful blend of community, inspiration, and celebration.
