On December 20, 1957 at age 22, Elvis Presley was drafted.
From This Day in History:
Widely praised for not seeking to avoid the draft or serve domestically, Presley was seen as a model for all young Americans. After he got his polio shot from an army doctor on national TV, vaccine rates among the American population shot from 2 percent to 85 percent by the time of his discharge on March 2, 1960.
The March of Dimes understood the power of celebrity! Elvis came into his career at a time when polio was at its peak. In 1955 Jonas Salk's vaccine was declared a success. The March of Dimes began calling on celebrities to help promote it. The following year, Elvis recieved his vaccination in front of cameras.
You've probaby seen the image multiple times but, if not, you can check it out over at Smithsonian's online exhibit - Whatever Happened to Polio?
The March of Dimes will always be remembered for its incredible contributions to polio research and its assistance to polio patients. After the arrival of the vaccine this worthy organization eventually turned it's attention to helping families with premature babies and children with birth defects. Perhaps you and I should honor MOD and the children it serves with a Christmas gift.
Just click on the purple DONATE button at the bottom of the MOD page. And wouldn't that be a lovely way to celebrate the birth of Jesus!
Interesting trivia about Elvis! he gets the vaccine and starts a fad! Cool blog. (But how in the world do you have time to blog these days???)
ReplyDeleteHow do I get time to blog?
ReplyDeleteIt's called escape!
Actually, it's challenging but I do it between the interruptions.
You had me at "ELVIS"... :)
ReplyDeleteMy mom helped raise money for MOD at work every year. She baked, they bought and the money went to MOD. Everyone was a winner! ;)
This is a great cause. I'm off to tweet about this post now!
And that, dear Donna is why the MOD called on Elvis!
ReplyDeleteAnd your MOM. Mothers were incredibly powerful fundraisers! Thanks for sharing that!