The day began with a wonderful breakfast in Medford with our dear friends Bill and Judy Pearl. Not only did they treat us to delicious meal at Elmer’s Pancake House, but they also graced us with their wonderful presence and their support of our efforts to share harmony and oneness across this vast land.

They themselves are radiant examples of harmony and goodness offered to many others through their own disciplines and sense of oneness with so many people. Through Bill Pearl Enterprises they offer many healthy products and lessons on creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle no matter what your age. The inspiration and joy we received from Bill and Judy in the short time we had to spend with them will be carried with us for the rest of the trip.

Today, Father’s Day in the U.S., was special for many reasons, including our wonderful breakfast experience. But we had a few more things in store for the day, some planned and others unplanned. Damon, our New Zealand representative, ran a full 26.2 mile marathon in honor of Father’s Day and Sri Chinmoy , the founder of this great event.

We also were fortunate enough to have two television newscasters come out to film us as we ran through Medford, Oregon. Bree-Ann from CBS and Kathryn from ABC both came out to interview Salil and me and to film him running towards Hawthorne Park for a Classic Car show. We are always grateful to the media for their efforts to cover our event and help us to share the sentiments of oneness and harmony with so many more people.

At Hawthorne Park in Medford, people were very nice to us considering no one knew of our event before we arrived. Bill and his family who owned and ran the B.J.’s Philly Cheesesteak were quite curious and supportive at the same time. They offered us free food but we had just gotten lunch. We are so grateful to him for his kindness and oneness.

Later in the day some of the locals stopped their cars just to meet us, and in one case even ran with us. Shaun, from Cave Junction, stopped to take some photos and kindly offer his goodwill as I ran up a very long mountain pass. McKenzie Yeoman and her two sisters and her track coach, Brian, all came out to see what we were up to. Brian and McKenzie ended up running a few miles with Salil as he struggled to keep up with them. Again, we are so delighted when people stop to offer their goodwill and support and even run a few miles with the Harmony Torch.

Maria, Svetlana and Sevati encountered two people from Oregon while running in northern California. They took some photos and told the girls that they were involved in the famous Peace Walk of 1978 that went from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. With a sweet smile, the woman told them, “You are doing a very important thing.” Her husband said that they have been working for harmony for 40 years. We are glad that they stopped for us.

Another surprise offered by Mother Nature herself was the giant Redwood trees in the Jedediah Smith Forest area that we ran through today in Northern California. These trees are mammoth living beings that offer so much joy and health to the world with their patient existence. Some of these incredible trees are 500 to 1,000 years old and a few have lived even longer than that. The trees that we saw varied greatly in diameter, but all of them just towered majestically into the heavens. It really is quite an invigorating and inspiring experience to run amongst these wonders of Nature.

In the evening we were kindly offered a campsite at the local KOA in the Crescent City area of the Redwood Forest.

The Front Street Inn also kindly offered two rooms for two of the teams. We again are so grateful to those who offer these kinds of expressions of their oneness and empathy with our cause.

Later that evening, Tim from Radio Station KWVA in Eugene, Oregon conducted a live interview with me. Tim was very enthusiastic in presenting very meaningful questions for me to inform the listeners what the World Harmony Run is all about. We thank Tim greatly for such a thoughtful and professional interview and for getting the word out to thousands of people for us.

Arpan and Team Harmony

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