The Peace Run team capped off a week-long event with San Diego schools by holding a Torch-Bearer award ceremony at the Sri Chinmoy Peace Garden on Adams Avenue.
The garden is beautifully maintained, a variety of flowers and blossoming trees surround a majestic bronze statue of the Peace Run Founder, Sri Chinmoy.
The Torch-Bearer award medals await their worthy recipients.
Salil welcomed everyone and said a few words about the Peace Run and the Torch-Bearer award.
The team sang the Peace Run song for our esteemed guests.
Vasudha introduced the Torch-Bearer recipients, Madina Zermeno and Nolan Shaheed, and briefly spoke about both of their inspiring contributions.
Madina Zermeno, is only 16-years old and she has already shown a remarkable capacity to unify and inspire youth to work toward higher ideals. She has a life-long passion for social justice and equality and she works to help young people discover their potential as future leaders. She says that "leaders do not create followers, they create more leaders."
She is the founder of IGNITE: Individual Goal-setters Nourishing Inspiration Through Empowerment.
Her family members are very proud of her!
She holds the torch with her abuela, mother, sister and brother.
Madina's little brother Omar did not want to leave her side!
Nolan Shaheed is a world-class track athlete currently holding nine world and American records in the Masters division. Many of the records that he set in his 50’s have not been broken even though he is now 67 and setting new age-group records. His talents do not end there, however. He is a renowned jazz musican who has played trumpet with musicians such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, David Byrne, Carole King, Tom Waits and Phil Collins. Nolan owns a music studio in the Los Angeles area where he regularly produces music for a variety of performing artists.
The energetic and ageless Nolan Shaheed holds the torch with Nikolaus, a young peace runner from Austria.
The attentive crowd looks on.
The two Torch-Bearers meet each other and express mutual admiration.
We sang a song of congratulations even though, as Salil put it, "we are better runners than we are singers".
The team gathers around Nolan for a photo.
Mahiyan, the owner of the wonderful Jyoti Bihanga vegetarian restaurant in Normal Heights, invites the team and guests to lunch.
We enjoyed the bright, ambient atmosphere and the great selection of delicious food. Jytoti Bihanga has been very generous, providing meals to the Peace Run team during our entire stay in San Diego. We are very grateful to Mahiyan and all of the staff for everything.
Omar couldn't get enough of the edible flowers!
Vasudha gets a picture with her hero!
We enjoyed great conversation with Madina and her family. Madina told us more about IGNITE and how her program uses hip-hop and graffiti art as a tool for peace. Speaking with her mother, a local kindergarten teacher, we could easily see where she got her great communication skills from.
It was the last day on the run for our Colombian teammate, Victoria. So our great photographer, Alakananada, made sure to treat us to a nice San Diego breakfast before she left for home.
Arpan works on the report, California-style!
Cathy picks a lemon off of a tree, living in Florida, she is used to fresh fruit.
