Raise a glass at a Mount Joy pub, and you can help fight polio. The Rotary Club of Mount Joy will host its annual Pints for Polio fundraiser at Joy's Tavern, 62 W. Main St., on Tuesday, Oct. 25, and at Twisted Bine Beer Co., 93 E. Main St., on Wednesday, Oct. 26. The event will run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at each location.

As Rotarian Rose Madar explained, both establishments will donate a portion of beer sales to the cause to fight polio. Each location will also feature six giveaway baskets, with themes including pets, coffee, car care and wine. Proceeds from ticket sales for the baskets will also benefit the cause. "Both places have trivia going on those nights as well," she said. "So, you can come out, have a beer, play trivia and support a great cause."

Pints for Polio is a Rotary International program created through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Rotary has been working with GPEI for more than 35 years, and Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from the disease.

"Thanks to the efforts of Rotary International, we have almost fully eradicated polio," Madar noted. However, the disease is still endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and cases have been found recently in the United States.

The Rotary Club of Mount Joy has been participating in Pints for Polio for a number of years at various establishments throughout the town. It's just one way the club fulfills its mission, Madar noted. "Our whole goal is service above self," she said.

The club takes an active role in the Mount Joy community, with projects including installation of the clock on Main Street and improvements at Rotary Park. "We support local Boy Scouts, and we support REYS youth center," said member Ron Carper. "We also sponsor a Student of the Month at Donegal High School." Carper noted that the Mount Joy chapter has been active since the 1920s.

The club currently has 50 members, and the group is always looking for new people to join, Madar said. "We are open to anybody who wants to serve their community," she stated. The club meets over lunchtime at The Gathering Place, 6 Pine St., Mount Joy, on Tuesdays and in the evenings at Joy's Tavern on Thursdays.

For more information on Pints for Polio or the Rotary Club of Mount Joy, call Madar at 717-475-3885 or email her at rmadar@homesale.com.