Three Peace Poles planted and dedicated around the area

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The Lewis River Rotary Club of Battle Ground, Washington, one of the first Peace Builder Clubs in District 5100, along with the Jubitz Family Foundation, dedicated three Peace Poles on Friday, April 21. 

This coincided with other District 5100 Rotary Clubs who helped plant and dedicate 128 Peace Poles in Southwest Washington and Northern Oregon.

The first Peace Pole was planted in Japan by Masahisa Goi in the mid 1950s. Goi, whose family was greatly affected by WWII, dedicated his life to spreading the message, "May peace prevail on Earth.” The original Peace Poles were meant to cause people to reflect on the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of WWII.

The Peace Poles dedicated by Lewis River Rotary join over 200,000 others in nearly every country in the world. Each Peace Pole displays the message "May peace prevail on Earth" in four languages.

Members of Lewis River Rotary joined Kim McNally at the Battle Ground Library, Battle Ground Public Schools Superintendent Mark Hottowe and Assistant Superintendent Mark Ross and others at the CASSEE Botanical Garden, and Executive Director Marcy Sprecher along with staff and kids at the ROCKSOLID Community Teen Center.

"With so much conflict around us, we hope these Peace Poles will cause people to take pause and contemplate what they can do to help make this a more peaceful world, as peace begins with each of us," said Club President Kathleen Hensch-Fleming. 



The Lewis River Rotary Club of Battle Ground meets 7 p.m. Tuesdays at the Battle Ground Community Center, 912 E Main St. More information can be found at

lewisriverrotary.org.

- Ralph Akin is publicity

director for Lewis River Rotary