Tempe Rotary Club dedicates 'peace pole' for 100 years of service

The Rotary Club of Tempe Downtown is dedicating a Peace Pole at The Centers for Habilitation in honor of the club’s 100 years of service on May 29, at 9 a.m.

This year, the club celebrated 100 years of service to local and global families, TCH Director of Development Dawn Hocking wrote in an email. To commemorate the centennial the club has donated and installed a Peace Pole in the Sensory Garden at The Centers for Habilitation in Tempe.

The Peace Pole Project was started in Japan by Masahisa Goi who dedicated his life to the message on the pole “May Peace Prevail” in four to six languages depending on the size of the pole, Hocking detailed.

The Peace Pole has become recognized as a symbol of the hopes and dreams of the human race with an estimated 250,000 Peace Poles around the world dedicated as monuments of peace, according to Hocking.

TCH is a Tempe-based nonprofit that supports adults with developmental and physical disabilities. Its mission is to provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Tempe Leadership Class 33 chose TCH for their class project. TCH had a blank canvas and the nonprofit wanted to build a sensory garden for its supported individuals, Hocking wrote. The garden is an interactive outdoor garden space that provides stimulation to all the body's senses and is accessible for members of all ages and ability levels.

“It's been the gift that continues to give,” Hocking stated.