The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, the world's largest peace torch relay, passed through Humboldt County on Monday and Tuesday, bringing a message of global harmony to local communities. Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel, a veteran participant since 2012, helped students carry the torch from City Hall to Redwood Coast Montessori School in Arcata, where she once worked as an aide.
The international team of runners from seven different countries is on a four-month journey through all 50 states to celebrate America's 250th anniversary. Along the route, they engage with schools, youth organizations, and community groups, offering residents a chance to voice their hopes for peace.
An estimated 50,000 children in over 1,000 cities and towns are expected to participate as the relay progresses. Runners deliver educational presentations promoting self-esteem and the oneness of humanity.
Founded nearly 40 years ago, the Peace Run has traveled through more than 160 nations. Inspired by visionary Sri Chinmoy—an athlete, philosopher, artist, musician, and poet—the run embodies his belief that peace is achieved not by talking about it, but by walking the road of peace.
Bergel, who helped start Redwood Coast Montessori with six other families when her daughter was in first grade, described each participation as meaningful and beautiful, offering a chance to teach peace to children. She emphasized that being with runners from around the world reinforces the idea that individuals can make a difference.
The world they see on the road, she noted, is far kinder than what is often shown on the news. Runners cover 100 miles daily, and Bergel said the experience has positively impacted her children, exposing them to people from Hungary, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.
In celebration of America's 250th anniversary, she urged kindness and daily positive actions, believing that small deeds create ripples of change. Co-director Harita Davies of New Zealand, who first participated in the run in 1996, described it as a heartfelt mission for humanity.
She highlighted the amazing experience of passing through the Avenue of the Giants, with its ancient, peaceful presence, and noted that many international team members had never seen such wonders. Davies encouraged people to remember that everyone makes a difference and that peace begins in each heart.
The America seen in the news, she said, is only a small part of the giant-hearted people the run encounters everywhere.