Rotary Clubs dedicate first Rotary Peace Pole in South Carolina

Peacebuilding remains a cornerstone of our mission as a humanitarian service organization.

Spring Valley Rotary Club and its satellite evening club, Woodcreek Rotary, in collaboration with its Spring Valley High School (SVHS) Interact Club, dedicated the first Rotary Peace Pole in the state on Tuesday, November 18 at SVHS. Its placement furthers Rotary’s goal of building a culture of peace throughout the world. It is now an international message of peace with over 250,000 Peace Poles in every country in the world, dedicated as monuments to peace.

“I learned about Rotary’s Peace Pole initiative while attending the 2024 Rotary International Convention held in Singapore,” said Ted Rausch, immediate past president of the Spring Valley Rotary Club. “It was my dream to install a peace pole in Northeast Columbia, in the heart of our community. The messages of ‘may peace prevail on earth, in our hearts and in our schools,’ were selected for our location at the entrance of the high school, and this location gave us the opportunity to partner with our Interact Club students,” Rausch added.

Interact is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young people ages 12-18 that gives them an opportunity to participate in fun, meaningful service projects while developing leadership skills and meeting new friends. “To me, this pole serves as a reminder to always stay kind to one another, and that through peace we find service. Service to those whom we care for and to those we don’t know,” said Erica McMillin, President of the SVHS Interact Club.

Rotarians were joined by the leadership of Spring Valley High School, Principal Jeff Temoney and by Sheriff Leon Lott, with “Peace Officers” of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department School Resource Officer Division. Both Lott and Temoney are also members of the Spring Valley Rotary Club. Rotarian Denise Ruben of the Woodcreek Club led the ceremony and concluded her remarks with a moment of silence for peace.

A Peace Pole is a monument that displays the message May Peace Prevail on Earth in the language of the country where it is placed and can also include additional languages meaningful to the host site. Rotary estimates that more than 70 million people are displaced as a result of conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations and that half of those are children. Rotarians are asked not to accept conflict as a way of life. Peace Poles are designed to help build a Culture of Peace by bringing people together in the community. For more information and to see the worldwide map of peace pole locations: https://rotarypeacepoles.world/

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. They contribute their time, energy, and passion to carry out meaningful and sustainable projects that promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, help mothers and children, support education, grow local economies and protect the environment. Rotary connects 1.4 million members of more than 46,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary’s top priority is the global eradication of polio. Rotary launched its polio immunization program, PolioPlus, in 1985 and in 1988 became a leading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. For more information, visit Rotary.org.

Spring Valley Rotary Club meets every Thursday for lunch and an engaging program from 1 to 2 pm in the Grand Hall of Northeast Presbyterian Church, 601 Polo Rd. in Northeast Columbia. To visit the club or for more information contact Brian Dunphy at (803) 920-4751. Its Satellite evening club, the Woodcreek Rotary Club, meets the third Wednesday of each month at Woodcreek Farms from 6 to 7 pm. Contact Denise Ruben at (803) 513-2334 for more information.