After a very quite night camping out at the Windsor Mountain Camp, we started the morning with a short run into the meadow where all the children and staff were meeting.

Sarah, the Director, carried the Torch and led us in. The children and staff were very welcoming as they were the night before, feeding us and treating us like all the resident campers who were staying there for a month at a time. (see story below)

After leaving the youth camp in Windsor, NH where we stayed last night, we headed east to start running a few miles up the road towards Concord.

The road to Concord was beautifully surrounded by a lot of forest and not too much traffic. As we reached Concord we had a police escort waiting for us bringing us to the capital building, where the mayor Michael Donovan and about 60 children from the Boys and Girls Club were waiting for us.

When Mr. Donovan read out the proclamation he had written in such warm and understanding words, I realized how lucky this city is, to have a mayor like him who is the head of the city, with such a strong longing and understanding for harmony in his heart and his city and the world.

As we introduced ourselves and sang the World Harmony Run Song for all of them, two more buses, full of little children from the Recreation Department with red shirts were coming, especially for us.

We went onto the lawn of the capital building with the kids and we formed a big circle to pass around the torch from one person to the other. Before passing around the torch, two kids were holding the torch together and ran around the circle, while everybody was cheering them on.

At this moment, seeing the kids running and to think, that just a few minutes ago I held the torch while running along the road to this city, made me so happy and grateful: happy because the kids were so happy and grateful, because I got a chance to be one of the runners to carry the torch from one person to the next.

So easily one forgets the meaning and value the torch carries. The people who hold the torch bring back this meaning again and again if one just takes a little closer look.

Before leaving, all the kids stood along the sidewalk, reaching out their little arms for the runners to give them “five” while running by before getting back on the road. As hundreds of participants cheered the runners on and the T.V. camera and newspaper reporter documented the event, our runner was off again, on the road to the state of Maine where we would make our last turn south on the final leg to New York.

Anja (Germany)

In the evening we were welcomed to our beautiful motel, the Best Western Merry Manor, by the Manager Greg Goforth. He was very kind to us in offering four complimentary rooms for our overnight rest here in South Portland. After checking in, we had to get over to the Italian Heritage Center in Portland where we were welcomed by the lovely Mayor, Jill Duson, who was waiting for us with the President of the Center, Diane Aikens and the Board members as well. They had arranged for us a wonderful pasta meal complete with and Italian dessert. We introduced ourselves and had plenty of time to get to know each other over dinner. After dinner there were a few presentations made, including a wonderful proclamation by Jill Duson, the Mayor of Portland.

Being of Italian heritage myself, it was an honor to have such wonderful Italian-Americans greet us in this special way. One individual who has always been there for us and supports us with her incredible enthusiasm and motherly concern is a local resident, Jo-Jo Ricci. What she said to us at one point really embodies the essence of sincere love and support for what we are doing. Jo-Jo said, “There are not many things in this life that I treasure, but I always treasure the Harmony Run experiences that I have had over the years and all the mementos that they have offered me.” We are extremely grateful to Jo-Jo for her motherly concern and support for the Run and we hope that she has many more healthy years to welcome us back to her hometown.

We are extremely grateful to Polly Goodyear as well who has made our experiences in New Hampshire and here in Maine so far very encouraging and successful.

Arpan and Team Harmony

The Fulness of Some Days

I remember days when I was very disappointed with lack of happenings and I wanted some big change. Well, today my wish for change was answered very well...

Today we had an early morning ceremony around 8 a.m. in Windsor Mountain International Camp. This is the first camp, who became affiliated with the UN. Richard Herman, the father of our most enthusiastic and joyful coordinator Sarah Herman, founded the camp in 1961.

Their website says,"Bringing worlds together since 1961" so no wonder why Sarah, who is the Assistant Director there,

made us feel, she was so much in tune with the goal of our relay for world harmony.

My first impression stepping in the camp ground was, "Wow, so much spirit, creativity and joy is here! Kids were playing all around, doing crafts and jumping from a rope in the lake and this was only a little window to their fascinating world.

Starting the day with a special morning program we ran into the field in front of a bright blue van. With guitar songs and hippy dresses their tutors opened space for our presentation.

After the formal part we sang the Harmony Run Song played by Arpan on guitar with some funky elements in it...

Our team was cooking the lunch meal, while Sevati our PR person, was distributing to campers a big box with granola bars. We met many nice people from all over the world there, Geronimo from Germany, Dimah from Siberia and I don't remember all their names,

but I felt on this land grows more friendship and joy than we know.

Many more things happened that day and one of the biggest was our meeting with the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean, our long cherished goal.

Then we had the Italian Heritage Centre ceremony.

Completing the fullness of our 95 mile day we had a long panoramic drive with Jo-Jo, a very good friend of the Run along the night lights of the harbour in Portland, Main.

P.S. Let me close down your next yawning with The End

Maria

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