The Rotary Club of Rock Island dedicated the installation of five Peace Poles throughout Rock Island with a ceremony on Tuesday, June 17.
The dedication was held at one of the Peace Pole sites, the Quad City Botanical Center, where the Rotary Club meets each Tuesday, and has been a key financial supporter. Dozens of members joined in celebrating the pole’s installation Tuesday as children splashed around in water features in the area.
In addition to the botanical center, the other Peace Pole sites are: Rock Island High School, Friendship Manor, the Rock Island Public Library’s main downtown facility and the Rock Island Fitness and Activity Center. Leaders of those organizations were on hand to unveil the fifth pole.
All five of those Peace Poles bear the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in eight different languages. Funding was provided by generous donations from Rock Island Rotary Club members Cindi Gramenz, Ruth Lee, Nancy Luckenbill, Richard Phillis and Sue Rector, outgoing Rock Island Rotary president, and their families.
“It is our hope that by planting these Peace Poles throughout Rock Island, the Rotary Club of Rock Island is planting hope, unity, and a shared vision for a more compassionate world – one neighborhood at a time,” Ms. Rector, the club’s president, said. “May their message of ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth’ echo in our hearts and our community.”
The Rock Island Peace Poles join tens of thousands around the globe, representing the diversity of the human family and a shared longing for a world without conflict, Rotary club member Bob Swanson said.
“Each one is a reminder to think, speak and act in the spirit of peace and harmony,” Mr. Swanson, the club’s sergeant at arms, said.
“For Rotary, peace is more than a goal — it is a responsibility. Through our service projects, international exchange and youth programs, we strive to build bridges of understanding and goodwill across borders and generations.”
