Peace run coming to Sandpoint on Monday

The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run is coming to Sandpoint on Monday.

Officials with the international torch relay said an estimated 50,000 children in over 1,000 cities and towns along the route are expected to participate as run participants visit schools, youth organizations and local events. Runners will offer educational presentations that promote self-esteem and the oneness of humanity.  

For over 35 years the Peace Run has traversed over 160 nations throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia as a symbol of humanity’s universal aspiration for a more peaceful world. 

A team of runners left New York City in April passing the Torch along the over 10,000-mile route.  The continuous relay will also run through 3 provinces of Canada during the 4-month journey before arriving back in New York mid-August. The European Peace Run started in Portugal in March and concludes in Hungary in October.   

Since the inaugural Run in 1987, more than 7 million people have participated. Commendations have come from many world figures including Pope Francis (who lit the Peace Torch in March at the Vatican), President Nelson Mandela, President Mikhail Gorbachev, Mother Teresa, Olympians, state governors, city mayors and celebrities across the world.

"By carrying the torch, you will be bridging cultural and social barriers, and all the boundaries that separate nation from nation. You will be the living proof of the ancient vision of having a beautiful and harmonious world," Carl Lewis, 9-time Olympic Gold medalist, said.

The run was founded by Sri Chinmoy to provide people with a way to express their aspirations for global harmony. An athlete, philosopher, artist, musician and poet, Chinmoy committed his life to fostering world peace through diverse creative endeavors.

"How can we have peace?" Chinmoy said. "Not by talking about peace, but by walking along the road of peace."