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Brooklyn-Reign Kemp-Wiparata holds the torch, watched by Raniera Rio, as the children at Hāwera Primary School take turns caryying it around the field.
A torch carried through 155 countries for the past 30 years by volunteers running a relay for peace visited South Taranaki on Monday.
The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run is a global relay, which carries a flaming torch around the world with the aim of inspiring people to create a more peaceful world.
Preetidutta Thorpe, of Auckland, who is part of the team, said they were all volunteers who loved running, and each took their turn carrying the torch for 5km legs as they moved from town to town.
The organisation has a vehicle for longer stretches.
“We can cover up to 100km a day running, and we generally only do about 10km each,” she said.
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Some volunteers visit several countries with the peace relay.
“It’s a lovely way to have a holiday.”
On Monday morning, the team visited Tawhiti and Hāwera primary schools and in the afternoon went to Pātea Area School, before running to Whanganui.
ANDY MACDONALD/Stuff
Zack Holden is presented with a peace medal during the peace run visit to Hāwera Primary School.
At Hāwera Primary School they sang, acted skits, talked about being peaceful, and led the children in a run around the field taking turns holding the torch.
On Friday they visited Mokau, Ahititi and Uruti schools before heading down to New Plymouth for a visit with mayor Neil Holdom and four schools.
They climbed Mt. Taranaki on Saturday and visited a couple of beaches.
Seven runners representing six countries started running in Hamilton on February 13 running along the side of the road carrying the peace torch.
ANDY MACDONALD/Stuff
Followers of Sri Chinmoy share the peace torch with children at Hāwera Primary School.
From New Zealand, volunteers will take the torch through Australia and several Asian countries as part of a wider international initiative.
More than seven million children in 140 nations have experienced the Peace Run’s peace education programme, which encourages children to build a more peaceful environment in their own community through peace-themed art, music, drama and sports initiatives.
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