Day 15: Berlin, Germany

Day 15 — Hallo, Berlin!

From the outskirts of Berlin, Team Green carried the baton through the picturesque countryside to Germany’s major exchange at the Potsdamer Platz. It was a special day for runner Dot Helling, who did the first leg for the team with a run in memory of her mother, a native of Germany. Later in the day, Dot and Laura Furtado were ecstatic to find Emmanuel Kibet finally enjoying a plate of spaghetti (he had been craving pasta for days) while the two were wandering the cobble streets awaiting teammate Simon Isaacs' arrival.

Heiko dashes into the Sony Center

But the true shining star of the day was Heiko Weiner, who dashed into the center to a cheering crowd at Potsdamer Platz, pumped up by the effervescent Brynn Harrington. Before and after the lively exchange, the curious in the crowd lent an ear to learn more about the Run and the plight facing more than 1 billion people in the world today. Even the elderly patrons got in on the action, volunteering answers for a chance at a Blue Planet Run T-shirt.

Brynn and Simon talking with the crowd at the Sony Center in Berlin

After ceremoniously announcing the promise to deliver the message onward through Germany and into the Czech Republic, Austria and Poland, then on to Asia, Shiri Leventhal, with swift kindness, accepted the baton from Heiko and sped out into the city to the sounds of hands clapping and people applauding the efforts of all our runners.

Heiko passes the baton to Shiri for her run out of Berlin

Sunila runs past the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin