North Fort Myers was quite a distance from where some of us stayed in Fort Myers, but the early morning trip to North Fort Myers High School was well worth it.

There was over 1,000 students, teachers and administrators to greet us as we ran into the large center of campus. We had a live band offering their dynamic tunes and students up in balconies as well as cheerleaders and JROTC students lining the sidewalks on both sides.

Some of the students made beautiful paper torches and two students faithfully held our banner as we ran in to the courtyard where the ceremony was held below the Red Knight holding a torch.

The students listened intently as Salil introduced the World Harmony Run and our team took turns addressing the students.

Pranlobha, our youngest runner here, relates to the students quite well.

The Olympic Gold Medal really adds a special dimension to all of our ceremonies and Lesley Bush is the perfect person to relate the experiences involved in earning it.

Cathy Oerter, a former High School teacher, used her talents as an educator to engage the students in discussions about peace and harmony in the world and what it means to them.

Kristine Sund, Assistant Principal, was the superb coordinator for this event working with Cathy Oerter and Prakhara, our tireless coordination team.

Principal Jeff Spiro offered everyone a brilliant message and inspired this very large school with his enthusiastic participation in our event.

He even carried the torch as he ran with us on the way out to the track for a lap there as well.

Many of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps(JROTC) students joined us in a lap around the track with the torch.

Kristine Sund, Jeff Spiro and Bill Landsberry proudly hold the torch together. We are grateful for their wonderful program and all the students they inspired by welcoming us to their campus.

We were soon greeted by some children from the Tropical Isles Elementary School just down the street from North High. The children walked quite a ways to meet us and to run with the torch to their school.

We were a bit early so we waited with some of the children in their library. They were suprised and delighted to see and hold the Olympic Gold Medal that Lesley Bush brought with her to our program at each school.

Some of the children were locating on their globe some of the countries the World Harmony Run has brought the torch to. Nzael Queen Kyomo was there to show them Tanzania, her country in Africa.

Watching our website on the children's computers.

This runner from Mongolia, Niyojita, was becoming a child again.

The children and their art teacher were very busy this week making this beautiful collage of artwork for our arrival.

Some of the children were overjoyed to carry the torch into the playground to hundreds of students gathered there.

The beautiful choir, the Sea Stars, entertained us with soulful songs with words like,"When we put our hearts together we can make a difference."

The children proudly hold up their own artwork of national flags.

Nzael Queen Kyomo, a former Olympian sprinter from Tanzania, was happy and proud to find her country's flag.

Niyojita from Mongolia found her country's flag among the many flags made by the children.

The children love to participate in our event as they help us to act out the song and even focus on the source of peace and harmony in their hearts.

Principal Brandi Macchia proudly holds the World Harmony painting by Sri Chinmoy, Founder of the Run.

There was some wonderful poetry read out by the students, but this young man memorized his beautiful poem.

Student and Boy Scout Paxton Walker proudly stands with this teachers and Principal Macchia. He held the torch for some time and then passed it on to the teachers.

Expressions are many when the children get to hold or touch the torch and offer their kind thoughts, but the most common feeling is enthusiasm and happiness.

Cathy Oerter gets a big hug of gratitude from these two poet-students as we sadly had to leave for the next school, Diplomat Elementary.

Some of the children and teachers were waiting for us at the gate as they took the torch and excitedly ran into the schoolyard where hundreds of students were eagerly awaiting out arrival.

Salil Wilson, our Executive Director, happily introduces the Run and explains what will happen. Principal Linda Caruso calls some of the children up to read their poetry.

This young man, George Padron, 10 years old, won first place in the poetry contest for his school.

Rupasi and Pranlobha, from Seattle, try to get the kids to guess the notoriously rainy city they come from.

Cathy Oerter grew up in a state where there are lots of cows and pigs, corn and soybeans.

Looks like someone guessed correctly:Iowa.

Niyojita has a more difficult time getting the children to guess the country between China and Russia where she comes from. Can you guess it?

Prakhara, who along with Cathy Oerter created this wonderful week of events for us, comes from a city without a State. Can you guess? Hint: The Capital of the U.S.A.

Our two former Olympians, Lesley Bush and Queen Kyomo, enjoyed inspiring the children with their Olympic stories.

The children were very eager to participate and interact with us in our program.

All gratitude to the wonderful staff of teachers at Diplomat, especially Principal Caruso and the Coordinator of this event, Cricket Smith.

Some of the children took turns holding and touching the Olympic Gold medal won by Lesley Bush in ten meter platform diving.

Before going back to the classroom all of the children usually get a chance to either run with or touch the torch as they offer their smiles and wishes for peace and harmony which we can happily carry to the next school.

We were greeted warmly as we ran into Diplomat Middle School which was our final of twelve schools we visited in three days in the Fort Myers area of Florida.

After our introductions the lights were dimmed as we watched one of the impressive videos of the World Harmony Run where the torch is passed through various countries of the world. With no speaking and only spell-binding music and scenes of children of different cultures sharing the torch, this short video captures the magic of carrying the torch to many cultures through the length and breadth of this beautiful world.

We are ever so grateful to our special guest teammates: Lesley Bush, Cathy Oerter and Nzael Queen Kyomo, who joined us this week to offer their special talents and their hearts' love to all the children and adults along the way. All in all they touched the hearts of over 8000 people of all ages in three days of our World Harmony Run events in the Fort Myers area of Florida.

Principal Angelo Roles accepts our tokens of gratitude to her and this wonderful school from our tireless coordinator, Prakhara Harter, who, with the indispensable help from Cathy Oerter, made this week a magically rewarding one for everyone.

Jennifer Andoscia, a Behavior Specialist at Diplomat, starts the run around the track with the students.

Some of the students and teachers walk and jog around the track for a few happy laps as they pass the torch and chant our motto: 'Harmony Begins With Me'.

Vice Principal Joan Fruitt is all smiles as she gets to hold the torch and share in the harmony and goodwill which we all felt at her school today.

Andre Hamstra from the Lee County School District was happy to have made it to this event.

Three Lee County School District members and teachers David Norris, Rebecca Jamme and Helen Davis have come to almost every school to make this week a truly memorable one. Their support of our efforts from the planning stage through this whirlwind week of activities were crucial to our success and to the enjoyment of all the children and teachers involved.

We could not put all of the thousands of photos taken by our excellent photographer, Prabhakar Street, here on these stories. But we do have many more of his photos on a gallery if you just click on 'See More Images'.

– Arpan

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Team Members:
Arpan DeAngelo (New York), Prabhakar Street (Canada), Salil Wilson (Australia), Cathy Oerter (Florida), Prakhara Harter (Washington, D.C.), Niyojita Purevsuren (Mongolia), Rupasi Young (Seattle, Washington), Pranlobha Kalagian (Seattle, Washington), Lesley Bush (Princeton, New Jersey), Nzael Queen Kyomo (Tanzania)

Harmonemail:
You can send a message to the runners or read the messages.

Gallery: See more images!

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