After a lovely camping experience on the banks of the Mississippi River in Rosedale we started out early in Sherard, Mississippi to run north to Clarkesdale.

We ran into Clarkesdale High School, home of the Wildcats.

We are always somewhat tentative when bringing the torch to high schools as sometimes the students can be pretty restless.

Well nothing could be further from the truth with these fine upstanding individuals, almost nine hundred young adults who gave us a very enthusiastic and gracious welcome and were very respectful, attentive and polite.

Principal Rosie McGee-Brown gave us a very inspired introduction and welcomed us with open arms.

Some of them sang for us, the ROTC presented the colors during the Star Spangled Banner National Anthem...

Ms. Metcalf offered a soul stirring acapella solo...

and then we offered our own presentation.

Colonel Jackson then offered us some heartfelt and moving praise. He has seen and experienced the horrors of war so he knows the value of peace and harmony.

He emphasized our efforts and how important they are in promoting harmony in the world.

The students loved when Principal Rosie McGee-Brown ran with the torch passing it to teachers and staff on their way around the gym.

Most of the students were able to touch the torch and offer their goodwill before we had to run off on our way up to Memphis, Tennessee.

After finishing their leg of the route, Mark and Salil stopped at Frazier Boyz, a barber shop in Tunica. Xavier did a great job cutting their hair, and as they were leaving, Peter Thomas from the Tunica Times just happened to pop out of the store next door. He was quite curious and very interested in what we were doing. Peter had a long talk with Mark and Salil , taking some photos with the team and with Xavier who came out to see what was going on.

Arpan and Atulya’s team ran the last miles of today’s route into Memphis. Arpan ended the run at Graceland, the home and final resting place of the late ‘King of Rock and Roll’, Elvis Presley.

Surprisingly we met three nice people there who are from New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from New York City, where some of us reside.

The women's team arrived a bit earlier and had some time to see the residence and shop a little.

Also along the way running towards Graceland there was quite an interest in the torch as a number of people stopped us to enquire into what we were doing and to hold the torch and take photos with us.

At one point in Mississippi, just before reaching Tennessee, Judge Ellis Darby from Tunica caught up to us on the side of the road to offer us a large box of local Artesian well water. He saw one of our other runners as they passed his farm in Tunica earlier. He said that anyone with the word ‘harmony’ in it must be doing something good. We are grateful to him for his understanding, concern and generosity. He even tried to reach the Tunica Times newspaper to tell them about us but our other team had just met their reporter by chance at the barber shop. It is when people make these self-giving efforts to help us that really keep us inspired and energized to move ahead.

We finally settled into the Admiralty Suites and Inn of Millington where we were generously offered four nice rooms for the night.

Then we dined at a wonderful Italian restaurant called Milano’s where the very hospitable owner, Luigi, offered us some delicious pizzas, pasta and salad for half price.

– Salil and Arpan

Distance: 90 miles

Team Members:
Arpan DeAngelo (New York), Atulya Lee Berube (San Diego), Mark Collison (England), Kshetragna Ulanova (Russia), Surya Smolennikova (Russia), Vladimir Salnicov (Moldova), Kokila Chamberlin (England), Salil Wilson (Australia), Vajra Henderson (New York), Drsalu Gruenstaeudl (Austria), Becky Xerri (Wales)

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

Gallery: See more images!