The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run (formerly World Harmony Run), an international torch relay, will be in Kannapolis today around 12:40 p.m.
Traveling the world to encourage goodwill, harmony and friendship at the local level, relay runs have occurred in more than 140 nations throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.
The international team from eight different countries will pass the torch as they run on U.S. 29 South from Salisbury on a 10,000-mile, four-month journey. The team will merge onto Highway 49 and end the day in Charlotte.
An estimated 50,000 children in more than 1,000 cities and towns on the North American route are expected to participate when the Peace Run (www.peacerun.org) visits schools and youth organizations. Runners will offer educational presentations that promote self-esteem and friendship. The team left New York City mid-April, passing the Torch along the more than 10,000-mile route.
For the first time the continuous relay will link Canada, Mexico and the U.S. during its journey before arriving back in New York mid-August. The European relay started in Portugal in February and will end in Serbia in October after running some 16,000 miles. The Asia-Pacific segment will go through 13 countries in four months.
Carl Lewis, nine-time Olympic Gold-medalist, said, “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.”