Sikh society celebrates well-being for all with walk/run in Palatine

The Sikh Religious Society Palatine Gurdwara organized its second annual 3.2 kilometer run/walk on June 30 in Palatine. The theme of the run was "Sarbat Da Bhala" (Well-being for All).

More than 200 participants of all ages, including neighborhood residents and their families, took part. Illinois State Senator Ann Gillespie, who represents the people of this neighborhood in the 27th Senate District, was the honored guest and kicked off the run. The run/walk was for well-being, health, peace, love and tolerance.

The event was organized by Sikh youth volunteers and neighbors of the Palatine Gurdwara, in collaboration with the Sikh Religious Society board of directors.

"The purpose of this run/walk is to engage the neighborhood and encourage each other to get healthy and support youth involvement in community activities," said Jasvir Kaur of the youth organizing committee.

This year's "Well-being for All" run/walk was dedicated to the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikh faith, to honor his spiritual journey walks, where he traveled over 40,000 kilometers over a period of 24 years and visited nine countries, mostly on foot, having interfaith dialogues with people he met along the way, reminding the importance of truth, social justice, love, respect for each other's faiths and compassion.

The Gurmat Sunday School students, Sehaj Kaur, Ajeet Singh and Asees Kaur, spoke about what inspires them about Guru Nanak. The youth took a keen interest and played a strong role in organizing the event.

Senator Gillespie encouraged the youth to participate in such healthy activities and handed out award certificates to the top three winners of the run: First place Mukal Kumar; second place Amandeep Singh; and third place Shaan Singh Sohi.

"This would not be possible without a hardworking team of youth organizers, medical staff, dedicated youth volunteers and their parental support. Everyone loved it and we are making this event an annual tradition," said Prempal Singh, a Sikh Religious Society board member.

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