The Olds Rotary Club will unveil a peace tree on Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Olds Municipal Library. Club member Marjory Lally sparked the idea after she was named director-at-large for the club in 2012 and given the task of promoting peace.
The Olds Rotary Club will unveil a peace tree on Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Olds Municipal Library.
Club member Marjory Lally sparked the idea after she was named director-at-large for the club in 2012 and given the task of promoting peace. Lally thought the idea of promoting peace was a good idea since Rotary International’s theme for 2012 was "Peace through Service."
"I struck a committee. I liked the idea of the peace tree and I’d seen Yoko Ono’s tribute to John Lennon in Reykjavik in Iceland off an amazing laser peace tree they had done, so I thought why not have something here in Olds. That’s certainly a strong component of Rotary is peace through service," Lally said.
The library was chosen as the best place to set up the tree because the library is a public space that receives a lot of traffic. The wrought-iron tree, which is currently being constructed, will be unveiled during International Human Rights Day. People will be able to purchase "leaves" and "seedlings" beginning on Dec. 10 in recognition of their support for peace in action or for the resolution of conflicts they have personally experienced. Leaves can be purchased, engraved and attached to the peace tree in the library for $100, $50 or $25. Seedlings can be purchased for $2 to show support for peace. All the money raised through the peace tree initiative will be donated to the proposed community emergency shelter.
"(The emergency shelter) is one of Rotary’s charities that we are supporting next year, so it just seemed very logical. It’s something that we feel is needed in Olds and it seems to be worthwhile," Lally said.
The Rotary Club contacted local artist Paisley Hayes in 2012 about the peace tree and asked her to create the tree in September. She is now in the process of creating the wrought-iron tree and was to be dry-coating it to make sure it doesn’t rust. Asked what she thinks about the opportunity to create a piece of work for such a worthy cause, Hayes said she was honoured to be approached by the Rotary club.
"I think it’s really great. I’m excited to have my artwork publicly displayed," she said.
Other activities on International Human Rights Day will include students from various schools in Olds "standing up for a cause" in which they will stand up during the day for a cause they believe in such as anti-bullying or education for all children. Leadership students from Ecole Deer Meadow School will also be tie-dying headbands for students and community members to wear on Dec. 10 in support of a cause they believe in.
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