National Peace Run shares message with local kids during stop at Bellingham’s Lake Padden

It’s common to see runners at Lake Padden before the morning fog has cleared, though they aren’t usually carrying a flaming torch. Last Friday a group of nine runners hit the trails in matching blue shirts with a shared message.

They are part of the Peace Run, a four-month journey across the United States and Canada where runners carry the peace torch. Over the last 35 years, the Peace Run has visited more than 150 nations and territories, according to the organization’s website.

“The peace run was founded by Sri Chinmoy,” media correspondent Prakhara Harter said. “It was his vision to have a run, where people could come together and express their own yearnings and hopes and dreams for peace by passing the peace torch from hand to hand.”

Chinmoy was a spiritual leader from India who taught meditation and promoted athleticism as an spiritual endeavor. He died in 2007.

On June 27 they covered 88 miles, including a stop in Bellingham to give a presentation on peace to the YMCA’s Girls on the Run and Trail Blazers programs at Lake Padden.

The presentation included a guessing game and a song about peace. It ended with a short run carrying the peace torch.

“[Runners] find that there’s more that unites everybody than divides everybody,” Harter said. “That when you get out there and you meet people from all walks of life, there’s so much that we all have in common. That is another main purpose of the run, to bring that opportunity to the fore, and that happens by running and passing the peace torch.”

Girls on the Run is a YMCA after-school program that offers a five-day summer camp for girls in grades 3-6. Kids play games, run on the local trails and focus on giving back to the community.

“We do something giving back to the community,” Girls on the Run coordinator Sharon Stone said. “It might be a food drive for the food bank or making toys for the dogs at the shelter, or having a lemonade stand to raise money for the Humane Society or for Children’s Hospital. On Friday, we do a celebration 5K around the lake.”

Stone said she was excited to participate when Peace Run organizers contacted the YMCA about collaborating.

“I feel like the theme fits right in with the theme of our camp of ‘girls having heart,’ and we’re going to start the week by talking about what peace really means and why is it important,” Stone said. “It’s the perfect age to catch these girls while they’re still pretty wide-eyed and willing to take in all of these ideas.”

The Peace Run gives presentations to schools and camps along their route. For many kids, it’s their first time seeing people from another country, said Harita Davies, a peace runner from New Zealand.

“I love being able to do something positive for humanity,” Davies said. “So nice to share a positive message.”

The Peace Run will go through Winthrop and Spokane before heading to Montana. People can follow along on the website and learn about joining future runs.

Girls on the Run is available through the YMCA and runs primarily on volunteers. Opportunities to get involved are on the YMCA website.

“All of our coaches are volunteers from the community so we get a lot of people who want to check it out,” Stone said. “They coach one season, and they keep coming back because it’s so rewarding to empower little girls.”