One team of runners left early to start the final day of running to New York. Starting in downtown New Haven, we ran along Route 1 the whole way to Greenwich, Connecticut as our final stop of the day.

So we decided to just kick-back on the beach! Nah...surely you know us better than that.

The first stop was in Fairfield at the Grasmere by the Sea Adult Day Care Center. There were over 20 very sweet and friendly seniors who welcomed us into their recreation hall with open arms.

After our inspiring ceremony they helped us sing the World Harmony Run song and asked some very insightful questions. We are very grateful to them and all the staff there, including Diane Dunlap, the activities director there who helped coordinate this event in cooperation with our own local coordinator, Sutusthti Lang.

Our next stop for the day was in the beautiful city of Westport. Along the way we were able to run along the coastline for a short while, absorbing the beauty and vastness of the sea and local natural environment. Our ceremony took place at the prestigious Westport Library which sits next to a small river inlet of Long Island Sound. There we were so warmly welcomed by...

...Jonathan Steinberg, deputy chairman of The Representative Town Meeting. He offered some very kind words and told us about their unique form of government.

The United Nations Hospitality Committee very kindly provided a nice lunch of baked ziti and salad. Thank you so much to Bill Haas and his wife Joan who helped to coordinate this wonderful event and meal for us as they always so kindly do when we reach Westport.

"I think it's a wonderful thing," Hass said of the Harmony Run. "It brings people together, and it draws attention internationally to goodwill and peace."

From Westport we made our way to The Marvin, a Senior Congregate Housing and Bright Horizons Preschool, to a grand reception by...

...a very fit Senior Olympian and former employee of the City of Norwalk, Mary Roman...

She ran a short ways with us to the Marvin School which has been converted to a Senior Housing Center and the Bright Preschool.

...many seniors...

and a group of preschoolers.

Mary Windt, the Executive Director of the program called ‘Under One Roof’, kindly arranged with our local coordinator Sutushthi, this unique ceremony to take place.

The Mayor of Norwalk, Richard Moccia gave us a very warm welcome to his beautiful city acknowledging the importance of spreading harmony to people of all ages.

Also present to offer us his wisdom and goodwill was Connecticut State Representative Chris Perone.

Atulya got a very nice interview from the local news.

The final meeting on today’s run through Connecticut was at the Stamford Boys and Girls Club. Dante Hudson, the Program Director, kindly arranged for this very inspiring visit with the children, some of whom have met us here in the past.

Only four of made it for the beginning of the ceremony, so we had the kids guess which country each runner on the team was from whether they were there or not.

These youths were all about the torch and the running. Save the chit-chat!

Thank you for being so enthusiastic for our last ceremony on the road!

Our final team of runners finished in Greenwich, Connecticut, just before the New York State border. Then we all ran into Queens for a final lap to our finish point where we were greeted by many friends and other runners from other countries. It was a very uplifting and emotional moment as we ended the final steps of a long journey of millions of steps which took us through the length and breadth and heart of America.

– Arpan and Atulya

Distance: 77 miles

Team Members:
Atulya Berube (San Diego), Drsalu Gruenstaeudel (Austria), Vladimir Salnacov (Moldova), Mark Collinson (England), Kokila Chamberlain (England), Surya Smolennikova (Russia), Kshetragna Ulanova (Russia), Dima Grygorievski (Ukraine), Sukhada Korshunova (Russia), Nisanga (Bosnia), Balavan Thomas (England), Pujari Schaffer (USA), Arpan DeAngelo (New York)

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

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