On Sunday September 20, 2009, thousands came to the Santa Monica Pier and celebrated the 7th annual Roots & Shoots Day of Peace.

The event was an enormous success--over 10,000 people attended the event from 11am-4pm. Participants included Roots & Shoots groups from all over the state, as well as local students, tourists and other peaceful merry-makers.

Each year, in support of the United Nations International Day of Peace, Roots & Shoots members and friends come together to promote peace. All over the world, young people craft Giant Peace Dove Puppets from reused materials and fly the Doves in parades in their communities. From the Pier in Santa Monica, to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, to the low plains of Kansas, Peace Doves fly, held high by hopeful hands.

Symbolizing international peace and solidarity, the Day of Peace festival on Santa Monica Pier culminated with a Giant Peace Dove Parade. Celebrities, Roots & Shoots members, and event-goers joined together to fly a collection of seventy five hand-made giant doves along the Santa Monica Pier parade route, each with a wing span of 25 feet. Day of Peace host, Marilu Henner, led the peace parade. Simultaneously, Peace Doves flew in cities all across the United States and in close to 100 countries worldwide.

“With the peace doves we remind everyone of the truth they sometimes forget – that peace is possible. With Day of Peace, we celebrate all that is free and noble in the human spirit. And we celebrate all that so many people have done throughout the year and will do next year to create a better world.” -Jane Goodall, PhD, UN Messenger of Peace, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute.

To read more about this amazingly successful event visit the Roots & Shoots California Day of Peace Facebook Page!