Peace Run Event Shares Love With Dunkirk
Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas, right, holds the torch from the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, joined by three of the runners. P-J photos by M.J. Stafford
Members of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run pose in Dunkirk Monday.
Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas, right, holds the torch from the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, joined by three of the runners. P-J photos by M.J. Stafford
Members of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run pose in Dunkirk Monday.
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DUNKIRK -- A Peace Torch flashed through Dunkirk on Monday on a four-week journey from New York to Chicago.
The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run navigated Lakeshore Drive around noon.
The torch-bearing team was set to run 61 miles Monday, from Buffalo to Westfield. It departed New York on July 13 and is passing through 12 states and Canada on its way to Chicago.
Mayor Wilfred Rosas greeted five members of the team, one bearing the torch, at the Boardwalk. "Welcome to the city of Dunkirk, we stand so proud to welcome you to this city," he said.
"It's important that we get this message out. In communities all over the world, and Dunkirk is no exception, we have racism and we have hate."
The Peace Run team presented Rosas with the torch and two certificates, one thanking the city of Dunkirk for hosting the run, the other thanking Rosas.
The five women who greeted Rosas included a Mexican, an Italian, two Canadians and a resident of Seattle. A few other members of the team were lagging behind.
The final leg of the relay is along Lake Erie, set to conclude in Chicago in time for the Aug. 14-18 Parliament of the World's Religions.
The Peace Run team is visiting schools and youth organizations along their route to share its motto, "Peace Begins with Me." Runners will offer educational presentations that promote respect of others and the oneness of humanity.
Earlier this year, the runners passed the Peace Torch in ceremonies in El Paso, Texas; San Diego, California; and Seattle.
The Peace Run has traversed more than 160 nations on all seven continents over the past 36 years, supporting aspirations for a more peaceful world. Since the inaugural Run in 1987, more than 7 million people have participated. Commendations have come from many world figures including Pope Francis, President Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth II and Saint Mother Teresa.
The Peace Run was inspired by visionary Sri Chinmoy to give people a way to express their hopes and dreams for a more harmonious world. An athlete, philosopher, artist, musician and poet, Chinmoy dedicated his life to inspiring people to find peace within themselves. He said, "Lasting peace must begin within the depths of the individual, and from there spread in ever-widening circles as a dynamic force for world change."