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Downtown Manhattan was soaked on Sunday in the messages of truth, right conduct, love, nonviolence and peace, instead of the flood rains that were predicted for the day.
More than 500 individuals participated in the 2nd Annual Walk for Values USA, each pledging a value that he/she will practice. The crowd gathered in Battery Park at 9:00 am during the light morning rain clad in ponchos, or under an umbrella, to increase awareness of the need for each of us to practice basic human values in our daily lives. Many of them traveled from as far away as Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware to join the Walk. A couple visiting from Germany also participated in the event.
Piyush Ghayal, President of the Sathya Sai Organization, USA, Mid-Atlantic Region, read aloud a letter written by New York City’s Mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg. Mayor Bloomberg wrote “This event is a terrific opportunity for New Yorkers of different backgrounds to join together and celebrate the human values that we all share. By promoting the general principles of peace and nonviolence, and by encouraging participants to adopt truthfulness and right conduct in their daily lives, this walk urges us all to live in line with our basic humanity – and to do everything we can to build a more peaceful and just future.”
Dr. Phillip Gosselin, Grand Marshal and Central Coordinator of the Sathya Sai Organization, USA, said the Walk was “a way to remind ourselves of those values that may seem obvious but are not. The most important thing in this world is to bring everyone together.”
Danny Garcia, a 64 year-old New Yorker from Spanish Harlem, but who currently lives in Virginia with his wife, also led the Walk bearing a peace sign. Mr. Garcia began walking for children and for peace in 1996, and has covered more than 25,000 miles around the globe.
Members of the Renaissance EMS band, ranging in ages from 7 to 19, came from the Bronx to inspire the Walk participants with a song, “Let’s Work Together.” “If we can all come together and work together, it’s amazing what we can accomplish,” said Bervine Harris, Director and Founder of Renaissance EMS, an after-school program in the South Bronx that teaches music and sports to the children in the community.
Walk for Values USA (walkforvaluesusa.org) proceeded for two miles around the park and through the streets of downtown Manhattan, pausing for two minutes of silence at Ground Zero in memory of all those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. The Walk concluded back in the park with a special Father’s Day tribute by Mr. Harris and the Renaissance EMS band. Organizers of the event also presented a Human Values Award to Mr. Harris for his contribution to the community.
Currently, the Walk for Values takes place in several cities across Australia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, and in the US. Walk for Values USA is organized by the Sathya Sai Organization, a not-for-profit group, and is part of a global effort to promote the practice of human values by providing opportunities to participate in community-based service activities.
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eventcoordinator[.]walkforvaluesusa.org 
