World Peace Ceremony Attracts Record Crowd
The Sheriff’s Department Drill Team came to the general present arms. The Wellington Flag followed by the American Flag were raised by the boy and girl scouts. Then a lone bugler standing on the grassy rise in front of the Peace Pole played a beautiful and mournful Taps.
So commenced the annual UN Peace Day ceremony presented by The Rotary Club of Wellington.
After the singing of the National Anthem by local artist Taylor Renee and the Pledge of Allegiance lead by a boy scout the ceremony moved ahead with Mayor Darell Bowen reading the United Nations Peace Proclamation, then Dr. Wes Boughner Co-Chair for the Rotary Club Peace Initiative welcomed every one and gave the opening remarks including the history of the Wellington Peace Initiative. Local Wellington Village Council members added their comments regarding the meaning of the Peace Ceremony to the people of Wellington.
The approximately 300 people in attendance heard the Peace Pole wording “May Peace Prevail on Earth” read aloud in eight different languages, to be followed by the Palm Beach Central High School choral group The Traditions lead by Scott Houchins singing “We are the World”.
As part of the Wellington Rotary Clubs annual Peace Initiative, which runs throughout the year, the club sells the flags of various nations to the general public. The new flags are then flown all along the International Peace Board Walk, which is part of the Rotary Clubs Peace Park where the ceremony is held each year on September 21st.
The club also sponsors competitions within all of the local schools. The Elementary Schools submit posters on the theme of Conflict Resolution, Multicultural Understanding and World Peace. The Middle Schools have poetry competitions and the High Schools enter essays. A photographic competition rounds out the school competitions. The Rotary Club presents cash prizes to all winners and also to the teachers of the elementary school poster competition winners at the ceremony.
Poster Competition Winners-
Panther Run. Sophia Lorello. Teacher. Mrs. Culp.
Binks Forest. Julia Wortman. Teacher. Mrs. Carney.
Elbridge Gale. Shannon Sawyyer. Teacher. Dr. Gale Crane.
Equestrian Trails. Kaleb Martinez. Teacher. Ms. Manzello.
New Horizons. (Grand Prize) Veronica Garcia- Parra. Teacher. Mrs. Mc.Cloud.
Poetry Competition-
Emerald Cove. Judy Yang. Teacher. Kerry Emery
Wellington Landings. Natalie Gomes. Teacher. Amy Yuzenas
Essay Competition-
Palm Beach Central. Kayla Goldstein. Teacher. Ms. Ostaffe
Wellington High. Tyler Bergman. Teacher. Mrs. Cooperman.
Photographic Competition-
Wellington High. 1st Place. Alison Parssi. Teacher. Ms. Bobbie Brubaker.
Wellington High. 2nd Place. Taylor Podder Teacher. Ms. Bobbie Brubaker.
Wellington High. 3rd Place. Brianna Erickson. Teacher. Ms Bobbie Brubaker.
A large contingent of boy and girl scouts was on hand to receive Rotary Club Merit Badges for completing a series of tasks associated with the theme of the Peace Initiative.
Larry Kemp Rotary Co-Chair presented all of the prizes and thanked the students and teachers for all of their efforts.
Each year the Rotary Club also presents a Community Peace Award to a Wellington resident who in their opinion has exemplary service in the area of World Peace and Understanding. This year’s prize went to Carla Neumann who founded Dream Sponsors in 2006 with the aim of providing for the basic needs including medical and emotional support plus money for school fees for slum children in Kenya.
After the singing of “Let there be Peace on Earth’ by The Traditions and a moment of silence the ceremony culminated with the release of Peace Doves, who circled the Peace Park marking the end of a most wonderful ceremony.
The Rotary Club of Wellington and its President Ms Karen Hardin wish to thank the Village of Wellington, plus all of the Rotary volunteers and especially the hundreds of students and teachers, boy and girl scouts who made the Peace Initiative and UN Peace Day so successful.
“May Peace Prevail on Earth!”