While district Superintendent Dr. Kishore Kuncham's personal pilgrimage to promote peace came to an end following a monthlong walk through the Village of Freeport, the message resonated loudly and clearly.
The final leg of the Peace Walk, which spanned a total of 131 miles, began on May 7 following the seventh-annual districtwide Peace March, and was completed on June 6 at Giblyn. Members of the central administration, village officials, district staff members, students and parents accompanied Dr. Kuncham during the culminating walk, just as hundreds have throughout the journey.
"This is one the most cherished moments for me, and I want to thank all of the students, parents, faculty members and Principal Ms. Amanda Muldowney for such an awesome welcome," Dr. Kuncham said at the culminating ceremony.
"This has not even been a Peace Walk, it has been a Peace Journey, which began as a Peace March. Although we are concluding the 131-mile walk today, I am very confident this will lead to a new beginning and something very special to happen in Freeport. Thank you to everyone who was with me on this journey - in spirit, a few steps, a few blocks, or all the way."
Various individuals who participated in the walk presented poems and speeches about their experiences during the ceremony, and Dr. Kuncham was presented with a yellow flower to symbolize the peace journey. Giblyn students, who held smiley faces and colorful peace-themed posters they created throughout the ceremony, performed "Lend a Helping Hand" in front of the school.
The walk's culminating event served to not only mark the end of a peace journey, but also as a continuation of the promotion of harmony across the world, beginning in Freeport.
