Today's run was little cooler as we were out of the caravan park by 7am. We had two schools to visit in Derby at around 1pm and 186k to cover, so time was a wastin'.
Quite nice temperature wise, but a bit challenging logistically to get it all together at that hour. Just another day in the life of a Peace Runner. 🙂
We had several nice encounters on the road today while running. A couple who live on the Sunshine Coast stopped to hold the torch and run a few steps along the road with it.
Run and become. Become and run. Run to succeed in the outer world. Become to proceed in the inner world. -Sri Chinmoy
Half of the team enjoyed a unique Peace Run ceremony at Kimberley School of the Air once we arrived in Derby. The school has around 65 students living in remote areas around the territory and several who are traveling around Australia.
The principal Esther Kerr gave us a brief history of the school and explained how the school works. Some of our team members had never come across this type of school before so it was really like a school day for many of them!
The school first opened over 55 years ago and initially taught over radio frequencies, shared with the Royal Flying Doctors Service. By 2005 radio lessons had been replaced by interactive digital learning.
The school day had finished when we arrived so we recorded a ceremony for them. The opportunity kept us on our toes - we had to slightly adapt our usual ceremony since we had no students present to answer questions or guess our countries! Their teachers will kindly send out materials for the students to make their own torches at home, so they can make their wish for peace and share with their families and communities.
The second half of the team visited Holy Rosary School, where nearly 70 enthusiastic students were eagerly waiting to meet the Peace Run team and hold the Peace Torch in their undercover area.
A profound silence filled the space as we all paused for a moment to feel peace within our hearts. It was a powerful and moving experience.
The students were quick to guess the countries represented by our team and were thrilled to take turns holding the torch and sharing their heartfelt wishes for peace.
To conclude our visit, the team and students ran a few laps around the school grounds, wrapping up just as the final school bell rang. Later, we were delighted to bump into some of the students again while shopping for dinner at the local supermarket.
A big thank you to Woolworths in Derby for your generous donation and your enthusiastic response to the Peace Run.
We are very grateful to our accommodation providers for the night in Derby. Derby Cottages generously donated accommodation for the women's team. The girls thought we had stumbled into paradise!
Meanwhile, Kimberley Entrance Caravan Park kindly welcomed the men's team to camp at their lovely and well-equipped campsite.
