PORT ANGELES — Sprinting through driving rain, about 15 participants in the 2016 North American Peace Run arrived in Port Angeles on Thursday.
The runners were bringing a message of unity symbolized by an Olympic-style torch held high for all to see.
Today, the group will carry the torch across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria on the 8:15 a.m. sailing of the MV Coho ferry.
The run began April 17 in New York City, traveling south across the United States and into Mexico and then north to Washington state.
Port Angeles is located about halfway through the trek, which will cover a distance of about 10,000 miles before ending back in New York in August, said Arpan DeAngelo, 63, of New York City.
DeAngelo is one of the few runners who has remained with the group throughout the entire journey.
“It has been amazing because we are not running for ourselves,” DeAngelo said during a welcoming ceremony officiated by Port Angeles Deputy Mayor Cherie Kidd at The Gateway pavilion at Front and Lincoln streets.
“We are stopping along the way. We run slowly and want to meet people and reflect on peace in every community — especially children. They have a lot to say about peace.”
Talked of peace
Kidd extolled the importance of peace and read a proclamation from the city during the stopover, during which the runners waved flags representing nations around the world and sang a song of peace.
“We are so delighted to have all of you here from literally all over the world [in] Port Angeles,” she said.
The Rev. Olaf Baumann of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church gave a brief sermon and blessing during the ceremony.
“This world longs for a sign of peace,” he said.
“It longs for people who do not shy away from the hard work of building a peaceful world step by step by step.
“We are indeed very grateful for you to be carrying the torch of peace into our city.”
Kidd went on to encourage the residents of Port Angeles “to embrace this message of goodwill, benevolence and compassion that the Peace Run promotes.
“I urge our citizens to strive for harmony here at home in our communities and in our nations.”
DeAngelo said the spirit of peace “is exemplified here in this city, especially, and it is really inspiring for us.”
The runners arriving in Port Angeles represented countries in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.
Sanaz Datubar, 29, an Iranian living in Germany for the past 26 years, said she is participating in the run because she has a “yearning to be” part of a global “community and to connect with people and to feel love.
“To feel that there is so much hope in this world is such an inspiration, and it is a goal that I love to go for.”
Scott Schuetzler, 38, of Seattle joined the group Thursday and plans to run with them all the way to Calgary, Alberta .
“The message is wonderful and it is a great way to remember that, despite all of the problems in the world, we are still striving for peace and will not stop until it is achieved,” he said.
“As humanity, we have to achieve peace.”
Following the welcoming ceremony, the group — led by a police escort — ran from The Gateway pavilion to the Port Angeles unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula at 2620 S. Francis St.
The run was founded by Sri Chinmoy in 1987.
For more information, see www.peacerun.org/us.
________
Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
