SARACENS players have been helping to paint St Albans purple as part of a Rotary campaign to end polio. The rugby club has joined forces with St Albans Priory Rotary Club to raise awareness of the Rotary to End Polio Now campaign which culminated with an

SARACENS players have been helping to paint St Albans purple as part of a Rotary campaign to end polio.

The rugby club has joined forces with St Albans Priory Rotary Club to raise awareness of the Rotary to End Polio Now campaign which culminated with an event in Verulamium Park last Saturday.

Saracens are also helping the campaign by donating five pairs of tickets to their premiership clash with Harlequins at Wembley on Saturday, April 17, as well as a signed rugby ball.

The tickets could be won by joining Rotarians at their market stall on Saturday then taking one of the purple balloons signifying the campaign to the Abbey Orchard where a giant balloon P in the Park was created in the afternoon.

Karen Mullinex from St Albans Priory Club said: "We wanted to do something that was a little bit fun to end the campaign in St Albans."

End Polio Now is Rotary's national campaign to eradicate the disease in the four remaining countries where it still exists: Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nigeria. Mrs. Mullinex, who has been a member of Rotary for 18 months, said: "50p is enough to save a child's life. The way to identify an immunised child in these countries is by marking their finger with a dab of purple paint - which formed the inspiration for our campaign,"

Any money raised on Saturday will go towards the overall �100 million that Rotary International has targeted to add to the �250 million being donated by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation.

During the past month Rotarians have been doing their best to turn St Albans purple including taking part in the pancake race in the city centre wearing purple aprons and holding a tea party culminating in the turning on of the purple lights outside the Town Hall.

Throughout this week there has been a marquee outside the Town Hall with information about Rotary, polio and a shelter box like the thousands that were sent to Haiti after the earthquake.

As well as comics, balloons and posters, a Their Life In Your Hands poster has been up where people can donate money to have their hands drawn on the wall which they hope to fill in as a montage.

Bucket collections have also been going on at the three local Sainsbury's - St Albans, Harpenden and London Colney - as well.