Appalachian State University’s Office of Sustainability is sponsoring the Elkland Art Center’s Peace Parade, an event that celebrates the International Day of Peace, which is observed Sept. 21.

The parade will begin at the Watauga County Library at 3:45 p.m. Sept. 19.

The theme of this year’s International Day of Peace is “Right of Peoples to Peace.”

According to www.un.org, the Peace Day was first established in 1981 within a resolution written by the United Nations General Assembly.

“The Parade is held to get people out celebrating the possibility of peace together,” said Lexie Danner, the community arts coordinator of the Elkland Art Center. “It is dedicated to world peace, and specifically the absence of war and violence, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access.”

Danner said this is the eighth year the Elkland Art Center is the host of the parade, which lasts about 30-40 minutes.

“The parade ends back at the library, but it has not yet been determined what route we will be taking – it depends on weather,” Danner said. “Sometimes we go to the Turchin Center and back through campus on to Howard Street.”

Donna Presnell, the communications manager of the Office of Sustainability, said the office is a promotional sponsor and it is the first year they are involved.

“We’re trying to broaden our scope out of this office,” Presnell said. “People automatically assume environment when they think of us, but they don’t think of the broader sense of sustainability.”

Presnell listed other sustainability aspects as equity and equality, not just environment.

“This parade falls into the equality and justice scope of sustainability,” Presnell said. “If we don’t have a sustainable society then we are not looking at sustainability in its broadest focus.”

Danner said she expects about 75-100 people to participate in the parade, but that she hopes for a higher attendance.

Story: Nicole Caporaso, News Reporter