Dr. Ronald Torok and Dr. Monica Price Kowaleski were instrumental in making the Rotary Club of Greenfield a Peacebuilder Club.
Submitted photo
GREENFIELD – The Rotary Club of Greenfield recently became the first Peacebuilder Club in the district and the second in the state.
The milestone, announced earlier this month, was achieved thanks to the cooperative effort with current President Dr. Monica Price Kowaleski and Dr. Ron Torok, a Rotarian and peace advocate.
One of Rotary’s main objectives is peace, and Kowaleski said she hopes the new honor will emphasize peace works worldwide, as well as honor local military and public safety officers that are promoting peace locally.
The initial projects of the club include a plan to have a Peace Pole fountain at the Rotary Art Park, which is located on the Pennsy Trail near Depot Street Park in Greenfield. This would join over 200,000 Peace Poles around the world with the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth.”
As part of the Peacebuilder initiative, the Rotary Club of Greenfield also plans to install a plaque at the Rotary Art Park. The plaque will include a quote by President and Rotarian Harry Truman, the charter date of May 5, 2023, and it will honor Abe Price, Kowaleski’s grandfather and holocaust survivor.
Abe Price, of northern Indiana, spoke to Greenfield’s Rotary in 2009. An author and public speaker, Price died in 2014 but Kowaleski said she was touched that local Rotarians remembered her grandfather and wanted to honor him.
“My grandfather’s mission, especially later in life, was Holocaust education,” Kowaleski said. “He was a writer and dedicated public speaker. He spoke to many groups, particularly students in middle schools, high schools, and universities. He wanted others to hear his personal story about the Holocaust so that we would remember and most of all so that history would never be repeated. A quote from my grandfather was, ‘Hate is never right, love is never wrong.’ Peace begins with love.”
Another significant project is for a Rotary Peace Fellows Scholarship. The Rotary Peace Fellows Scholarship is a fully funded postgraduate scholarship that covers travel, room and board, and expenses for a one-year master’s degree program. Applicants must have at least three years of work experience after graduation.
The inaugural Peacebuilder committee members were Kowaleski, Deby Low, Marcia Moore, Hart Summeier, April Trusley, Kim Hall, Sherry Haines, David Ellis, Sarah McKee, Teri Gottschalk, John Senger, Sarah Wolf, Linda Jones, Dave Anders, Jim Greig, Kevin Kowaleski, Lori Deemer, Jason White, Jeff Clark, Karen Willits, Jon Horton, and Chair Dr. Ronald Torok.
“We are honored to achieve the status of the first PeaceBuilder Club in our district and the second in Indiana,” Torok said in a press release. “This recognition underscores our commitment to promoting peace and resolving conflicts in our community. Together, we can make a positive impact and foster a world of understanding, goodwill, and peace.”
For more information about the Rotary Club of Greenfield or to join our efforts, visit www.rotaryclubgreenfield.org. For details on the peace fellowship, visit https://my.rotary.org/en/peace-fellowship-application.
