Purple Pinkies

As part of my time here in Aberdeen Scotland, as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, I have the opportunity to take part in various community service projects alongside the member of my local hosting Rotary Club. On Saturday, I took part in my first event with Rotary and a local Cub Scout Troop at a local farm, where we planted crocus bulbs to signify the “Purple Pinkie”.

When I first heard about planting flowers – purple crocuses – with the Cub Scouts, I thought it would be a really fun outdoors activity, to beautify the community of Aberdeen, I had no idea of the significance behind the “Purple Pinkie” Project. It was an interesting name with amazing symbolism and purpose…

I had previously learned that Rotary International’s largest initiative is to help eradicate Polio, a crippling and potentially fatal disease. Although incurable, Polio is easy to prevent, simply by a vaccination – forever protecting the child against this terrible disease!

What I didn’t realize was that, when a child is vaccinated, they have a purple stamp put on their little “pinkie” finger. So each crocus was planted in hopes that it will bloom PURPLE in the spring to signify the “Purple Pinkie”.

Alongside the excited younger boys, girls, and parents of the Cub Scouts and with the lively gentlemen of Rotary, I helped plant 10,000 crocus bulbs on a Scottish hillside in Aberdeen – truly something I never imagined having the opportunity to do, and will most like never have the chance to do again.