The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, an international relay effort that has traversed nearly every nation on Earth since its founding in 1987, recently recognized Sandpoint’s long history of hospitality toward the organization’s runners. At the July 8 Sandpoint City Council meeting, organizers presented a certificate of appreciation to the city, acknowledging decades of community support.
Councilor Pam Duquette accepted the certificate from the runners, marking a formal recognition of the relationship between Sandpoint and the Peace Run that stretches back to the late 1980s. The runners’ visit to Sandpoint this year was part of a broader 2026 initiative in which relay teams are visiting all 50 states to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary of independence.
A Message of Personal Peace
Harita Davies, co-director of the American Peace Run, explained the core mission driving the organization’s work across the nation. “The Peace Run is really a grassroots vision to share the message with everybody that peace starts with each one of us,” Davies said. The organization operates without seeking financial donations—instead focusing on spreading its message of individual and collective peace through direct community engagement.
Peace Run participants arrived in Sandpoint on June 28, bringing with them a unique symbolic gesture. The runners collected sand from City Beach, which they plan to place at a peace tree site alongside sand gathered from across the country. Despite rainy weather during their passage through the community, the runners completed their daily relay of 25 miles, divided among four team members.
Three Decades of Local Support
The Peace Run’s strong ties to Sandpoint owe much to the efforts of Kim Woodruff, the former director of Sandpoint Parks and Recreation. Beginning in the late 1980s, Woodruff made a deliberate effort to welcome the runners to the community year after year. “They don’t come in asking for money or anything,” Woodruff reflected. “Their message is just peace.”
That straightforward philosophy has resonated with Sandpoint residents and city leadership alike, creating a unique long-term partnership between a small North Idaho community and an international grassroots organization. The certificate presented at the council meeting serves as formal recognition of that relationship, though the runners’ presence and message have remained welcome in Sandpoint for generations.
The 2026 relay represents a significant milestone for the Peace Run, as it marks an effort to visit every state during the nation’s quarter-millennium celebration. The organization’s journey from its 1987 founding to its current status as a presence in nearly every country underscores the reach of its message of individual and community peace. For Sandpoint, the Peace Run’s regular arrival has become part of the city’s identity—a reminder that peace is both a personal commitment and a shared community value.
What Comes Next
The Peace Run will continue its nationwide relay effort through the remainder of 2026, visiting additional states and communities as part of the America 250 celebration. Sandpoint’s established relationship with the organization suggests the runners will likely return to the community in future years, continuing a tradition of welcoming that has defined the city’s character since the late 1980s.