Mr. Mike Ricke, Principal, Madison Middle School had about 60 students join Madison community members and Rotarians in a dedication of the first Peace Pole in Lake County. This Peace Pole, now standing proudly at the entrance of Madison Middle School, is more than a symbol. It is a daily reminder—visible to every student, educator, family member, and visitor—that peace begins with us. With our choices. With our words. With how we treat one another.
Around this pole are the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth”—expressed in four languages that reflect the diversity, heritage, and global connections shared within our student body and our community. These languages remind us that peace is universal. It belongs to every culture, every classroom, every home, and every heart.
As students walk past this pole each day, it is the hopes of the Madison Rotarians that they be inspired to listen more deeply, to act with kindness, and to recognize the strength that comes from understanding one another.
A special thanks to Toni Rustand for finding a piece of granite, donated at Rausch, getting the printing and securing the stone while Rotarians Scott Parsley and Craig Walker added muscle in preparing the ground for the pole. And a very BIG thank you to Mr. Ricke for his dedication and commitment to students which moved this project forward. Madison Rotarians demonstrated the strength of true Rotarians in getting this Peace Pole completed before this first snowfall! Thank you to all!