Children at the Ann Arbor YMCA listen attentively.

Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje applauded the spirit of the Run and the fitness of the team members as a shining example for all of the children to follow.

Day Camp Director, Dave Garcia and the YMCA Administrator were thrilled to present the runners to all the kids.

Each team member from around the world received huge cheers from the all the happy campers.

Our day started in Ann Arbor at the YMCA. The facilities here were very nice, with all the newest fitness equipment and a comfortable environment. . They had many children on site for summer day camp. All the members of the staff had prepared well in advance for our arrival and had the kids ready for our presentation. Day Camp Director Dave Garcia met us outside when we arrived, which gave us a clue that there was some excitement about meeting the Harmony Runners. We were honored that the Mayor of Ann Arbor, Mr. John Hieftje, took time from his busy schedule to come to the event to hold the Torch and share some inspiring words with the kids there. After we all introduced ourselves and sang our theme song, we were treated to a couple of songs by the kids. They had lots of fun with their funny songs, which gave us a great laugh.

Members of the Downriver Runners Club and the Dearborn Divine Child High School Track Club joined the run for many spirited miles with there coach Tony Mifsud.

After Edi ran out of the YMCA towards Detroit, the team met up with some friendly locals: Mike Deguire from a local running club and a group of young female cross-country runners from the Dearborn Divine Child High School. The girls were led by their coach, Tony Mifsud, who has joined the run through Detroit during previous runs. Tony is not unfamiliar with big runs; years ago he had nearly made the Olympic Marathon Team for his home country of Malta. We are very grateful to them for sharing this experience with us. It is a nice break from running alone all the time, and we hope that people can be inspired to do something of their own to help carry on the spirit.

The children at the Coleman Young Recreation Center in Detroit sat spellbound beneath the trees as the runners told them stories from around the globe.

Bangshidhar teaches another laughter-filled class of Happy Harmony Hula.

After getting lost a few times and wavering about whether to trust our GPS unit, we all finally met up at the Coleman Young Community Center in Detroit. They had quite a lot of kids there playing basketball and other games. Some of them came out to the large yard where they listened attentively and asked good questions. They were very enthusiastic about running in the ‘Harmony Train’ with the Torch and holding it to make a silent wish for Harmony.

We want to thank the staff of the Recreation Center: Carleton Johnson, Morae Cochran, and Michael West who made this meeting possible on short notice. It is always hard to leave when we have such a nice time with the kids. I know it has been said a hundred times, but their smiles and their energy keep us going, and this group filled us up to the top.

During our final leg of the day, we met some folks from the Down River Runners. Tony from the Dearborn cross-country team showed up with Karen and Nina. They ran with us for about 5 miles and were all full of good stories about running in Detroit. We thank them for sharing these miles with us on the way to the goal of Harmony.

We want to give a special thank you to Kapila Castoldi of Ann Arbor, our Michigan coordinator, for setting up all these events. She took such good care of us and made sure we had plenty to do. In the evening she treated us to a wonderful meal at Madras Masala, a local Indian restaurant. She also gave us a gift certificate for lunch and generally made sure we were all well fed, like a good Italian sister.

Our accommodations for the night were at the Amerihost Inn of Monroe where we had three comfortable rooms and great service. A nice pool and Jacuzzi added to the comfort and rest that we enjoyed there.

Francesco, Jeromy and Team Harmony

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