Hundreds gather in LaGrange to meet Buddhist monks on peace walk

Walk for Peace arrives in LaGrange, Georgia

 A group of Buddhist monks walking for peace made a stop in LaGrange on Saturday. They stopped at a local church for lunch and were welcomed by a large crowd. Their walk began in Texas and will end in Washington DC in February. 

LAGRANGE, Ga. - A group of Buddhist monks walking for peace made a stop in LaGrange on Saturday.

The backstory:

After marching into the town to lined streets, the monks stopped for lunch at Western Heights Baptist Church, drawing a large crowd. They said the LaGrange turnout was the largest they had seen so far during a lunch break.

The lunch was the first daytime stop in Georgia after the group crossed the state line from Alabama on Friday and spent the night in West Point.

The monks are on a 120-day march to promote national healing, unity, compassion and mindful practice. The pilgrimage began in Fort Worth, Texas, in October and is expected to end in Washington, D.C., in February. Saturday was day 63 on the road for the monks. Since the journey began, social media users have followed the monks’ daily progress as they walk through communities across the country.

After eating lunch, the monks spoke to the crowd and tied strings around attendees' wrists, a gesture meant to bring good luck, health and protection. The string is meant to be worn until it falls off.

What they're saying:

FOX 5’s Joyce Lupiani was at the church and said hundreds of people attended. Those she spoke with said they learned about the monks through social media.

"So today I'm just here supporting the monks and their walk for peace," said D'Asha Davis. "Just inspired by it. I'm not really religious, but I really appreciate their message. I think people from all backgrounds can take something really good from it, and I think it's something that we need now. I think they're inspiring hope."

Parents also hoped the event would reach younger generations.

"We came out here to see the monks, and we brought all of our children with us so we can introduce the topic to them and encourage them to bring the topic up at home," said Yadira Ayala.

Fredreska Sullivan and her daughter drove more than an hour and a half to see the monks. She said she originally saw them on social media and began tracking their progress.

What's next:

The monks plan to stay in Hogansville overnight. They are expected to reach Atlanta later this week with a planned stop at the Georgia state capitol. On Sunday, they will stop for lunch at 108 Hines Road in Moreland at approximately 10:30 a.m. Saturday night, they plan to spend the night at 50 Braves Crossing Drive in Sharpsburg.

You can track them live using their official map. Each morning, they post information about their stops and times for that day.