BUTLER TWP - About 40 YMCA day camp children learned some words in Russian and Italian on Monday.

Instead of numbers or greetings, the children learned words meaning peace and harmony.

Those were the concepts some volunteers from World Harmony Run are focused on as they make an 11,000-mile journey looping the 48 continuous states in four months, including a stop in Alameda Park.

Volunteers traveled from Pittsburgh in the morning, some by minivans, some in a motor home and some by foot.

Anja Kanther of Germany was part of the team of two women that ran through the heat from Bakerstown to the park.

The U.S. team has a core group of runners that make the continuous loop, which started in April in New York City. More runners join for local parts of the event. In small teams of three or four they run a stretch of about 10 to 11 miles. Other teams are simultaneously running in other countries.

Kanther ran along Route 8 and then to the park. With the team, they carry a torch. The torch represents passing the wishes of oneness and harmony.

The run was founded in 1987 by Sri Chinmoy and the nonprofit agency that is headquartered in New York's Jamaica section.

When they arrived in the park, Kanther and Arpan DeAngelo and others asked for questions from the children.

What most interested children like Dustin Montgomery of Butler was holding the torch as it passed around.

He said it felt warm and he was interested in learning the words for peace.

Camp leader Carrie Dunkowski said it is part of the YMCA's mission to present tolerance and give the children in the program the opportunity to experience other cultures.

"We share some core values," she said.