Hundreds gather in the Charlotte area to meet the monks ‘walking for peace’ across the country
By Serra Sowers and Cren Rosenbaum
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CHARLOTTE (WXII) — A group of Buddhist monks “walking for peace” is in the Charlotte area today.
Thursday was the 82nd day of their 120-day peace walk from Texas to Washington, DC. They arrived in North Carolina on Wednesday.
Hundreds lined the monks’ path and greeted them as they stopped for lunch at the Sugar Creek Recreation Center.
Click the video player below to watch WXII12 News’ Serra Sowers coverage of the scene Thursday morning as onlookers prepared for the procession to pass.
Some carried flowers, hoping to pass them along to the monks. Others brought their dogs and cats for the monks to pet.
North Carolinians of all ages showed up to support the monks’ message of peace and unity, and to join them in prayer on the recreation center’s baseball field.
The Monks are now headed toward Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Thousands greeted them as they were escorted by local law enforcement through Charlotte’s North End. Aloka, the dog, even made a special appearance today, reuniting with the monks for the first time since his surgery.
Residents of the Piedmont Triad will soon be able to greet the monks as well. The group is projected to arrive in Greensboro early next week.
If you do visit the monks, here are a few things to keep in mind:
– You should walk behind, not in front of the group – Leave a clear path – Do not touch the monks – Hold your hands in prayer and bow – You can track their location on the interactive map here.
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