Rotary International’s Polio Plus program

Jim Lewis was born in 1942 in Southern California, where he grew up. In 1948, Jim and his brother both acquired polio from a creek on their property. He says once he caught it, he could not move a finger. Jim’s father, who was a teacher and a football coach, taught Jim to walk all over again. As a polio survivor, he become an overachiever. Jim learned to swim in an orthopedic hospital. He attended Burbank High and was the captain of the swim team. Jim attended, what is now called, Cal State Northridge and followed in his dad’s footsteps by becoming a teacher and a coach. La Canada High was his first job. He was there for five years before moving to Simi Valley High where he taught water polo. He attended USC, became a school administrator, and later retired in 2006.

 

In 2001 Jim became a member of Rotary, joining the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise. In 2006, he joined the Rotary Club of Conejo Valley and then in 2008 he became a member of the Rotary Club of Moorpark. Since his retirement, he says that all he does now is “Rotary.” He is a great spokesperson for Rotary and the Rotary International’s Polio Plus program. His record of Rotary service is extensive, for example, he has traveled to India 8 times for the National Immunization Days (NIDs), chaired the 2017 Polio Survivor Summit in India, and received the TRF International Service Award for a Polio-Free World given at the RI Convention in Atlanta June 2017. His support and service to Rotary continues.