We started the morning with a wonderful breakfast at a restaurant called 'Consciousness-Blossoms', owned by our good friend and local coordinator for the Peace Run, Tilvila. Natabara(foreground) happily joins the men's team today. It is a day off from running for us today with lots of meetings and ceremonies ahead.
We also welcomed to our women's team Saranyu(left) from Australia, Zuzana from Czech Republic, and Cathy Oerter from Fort Myers, Florida, who is joining us for the day.
Sarankhuu from Monglolia enjoys a little diversion from running while we wait for our entrance to our first school ceremony.
At the Palm Harbor Montessori School we offered our program to the children who were very enthusiastic.
Two Australian women peace runners, Saranyu and Tavishi, offer some clues to the children who have to guess where they are from.
The youngest children also enjoy being part of the word guessing game.
Akbota from Khazakstan finds someone who guesses her country.
Our tallest runner, Puroga from Hungary, addresses the children.
Teaching the children actions to our World Harmony Run song.
The children offer us some incredible entertainment with their drumming performances.
Another group of children do a choreographed interpretation of a popular song.
Their star guitarist and drummers accompany the dancers.
The performers share the torch and offer their light.
Prakhara, our public relations coordinator, offers a special painting of the Founder of the Peace run, Sri Chinmoy, to Sheryl Chelena who worked very hard to coordinate this event.
Cathy Oerter leads the children around the schoolyard as the 'engine' of the Peace Train.
On the way to our next school ceremony we visited Hamid Salahutdin, a good friend of ours who lives on Sri Chinmoy Street, named after the Founder of the Peace Run, Sri Chinmoy.
Most of our team with Hamid at Sri Chinmoy Street.
Hamid receives a reproduction of a colorful painting by Sri Chinmoy, called 'Universal Brotherhood'.
Kelly Pratt, Assistant Principal of the Learning Gate Community School, leads us with the Peace Torch to the large enthusiastic crowd of about 400 children eagerly awaiting our arrival.
The children were very knowleable about guessing the countries of our runners.
Puroga from Hungary is surprised when someone guesses where he is from.
We sing the Peace Run Song to the attentive crowd of children.
The children have a moment to reflect on peace in the heart.
The children then offered us many special performances on the theme of peace.
This smart young man figured our how many seconds we are taking to run for peace as we make our way around North America.
Poems and songs were very creative and inspiring as the children thrilled us with their talents and peaceful spirit.
Singing songs of peace.
Tilvila, our dynamic and self-giving Tampa coordinator, offers our Certificate of Appreciation to Learning Gate Principal Michelle Mason. We are so grateful to her and her staff for such an incredible and inspiring program.
Cathy Oerter offers two children the Al Oerter Award for outstanding achievements.
This young man Gerlad, received the Torch Bearer Award for his exemplary service and behavior at school.
Assistant Principal Kelly Pratt, Principal Michelle Mason, and Events Coordinator Michelle Northrup display some of the offerings from our Peace Run team. We are very grateful to these three women, their staff and all the children for such an amazing event at their school today.
The Motto of Leaning Gate is 'Nature Is Our Best Teacher'. Their Mission statement is "To promote academic excellence, community service and environmental responsibility through family and community parternships".
Our final activity iwas a mini-peace run around the school grounds. Natabara leads this large group of peace runners this morning.
The route took them through a scenic nature path which fits into their curriculum based on nature and the environment.
The children then had a chance to hold the torch and offer some good thoughts and wishes for a more peaceful world.
Cathy enjoys a moment with some of the school children.
A group of future peace-makers.
The Learning Gate Community School higher grades offered us another program on a separate campus nearby.
Tilvila offers her clues as to where she comes from, right here in Tampa Bay area.
Various groups of children demonstrated their creative talents by making colorful and innovative peace torches.
Each of the beautiful torches has story behind it.
There were also many colorful peace totems created by various groups of middle school children.
Our team holds the creative peace torches with some of the peace totems in the background.
Cathy Oerter offers the Al Oerter Award to this young woman for her special talents and exemplary behavior.
Natabara offers the Torch Bearer Award this young man for his outstanding service and behavior.
We are very grateful to Principal Adam Wolford for organizing and inspiring the children and teachers to take part in this peace event in very creative ways.
Puroga with one of the amazing peace torches created by the children.
The students carry their peace torches in a run around the school.
Some children carried each other.
One of the faculty members leads the peace run around the school grounds.
Many of the teachers happily pose with our Peace Torch. They did a great job inspiring the students to express such creative and imaginative projects on the theme of peace and the environment.
One of the teachers, Suze Meredith, with our women's team. Suze works very hard with the children to educate them on the environment and inspire them to respect and take care of our natural surroundings.
Sarankhu, from Mongloia, seems to have aged a bit since joining the Peace Run last month.
Our final event of the day was at the Mattie Williams Neighborhood Family Center in Safety Harbor.
Prakhara offers the Peace Torch to Gigi who helped to coordinate this event. We are grateful to her and to the Director, Laura Stephens, who unfortunately was out of town today.
One of the Counselors leads the children on a run around the playground.
The children pass the torch and make a wish for peace.
A great group of children and adults at the Mattie Williams Center.
Pierre demonstrates new ways to carry the torch.
Tilvila(right) offers a Certificate of Appreciation to Executive Director of the Mattie Williams Center and City Commissioner Janet Hooper. Commisioner Hooper presented a Proclamation for the Peace Run from Mayor Andy Steingold declaring 02 May as Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run day in the city of Safety Harbor.
Puroga from Hungary shows off some of his hidden talents.
Teamwork.
After a long day of ceremonies with hundreds of energetic children.
At Tilvila's bookstore we discovered this handmade, colorful sign with a little advice from Sri Chinmoy for those advancing in years.
Tilivila, our local coordinator who worked very hard for our events here and also fed us quite sumptuously for two days, holds the torch with her helper and employee, our good friend Savadhan. We are grateful to both of them for their selflessness and concern for our whole stay here in the Tampa Bay area. We also offer our gratitude to Sweet Tomatoes Restaurant in Palm Harbor, Cesarina Italian Deli in Largo and Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Oldsmar for their contributions to the Peace Run.
