Day Thirteen Photo Report: Caravans arrive, marchers' ranks swell, and the march reaches Plant City!
... gathering their thoughts before beginning to walk yet another half-marathon together (actually, more than a half marathon,
14.5 miles to be exact on this particular day)...
.... and gathering their courage to take the fight for Fair Food to Publix, the wealthiest company in the state of Florida, one of the largest purchasers of Florida tomatoes in the world, and the single biggest obstacle to the expansion of the Fair Food Program and the full expression of farmworkers' human rights.
But in one very important way, Day Thirteen was not like any other day of the march to date, as the core marchers would be joined -- and their numbers more than doubled -- by caravans of supporters from around the country that began to arrive today to stay through the end of the march. Here above, members of the Northeast Caravan (bringing allies from the New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington DC areas) greet the marchers as they round the corner for their first rest stop of the day...
... giving rise to some emotional reunions...
... and filling the marchers with a fresh, and powerful, jolt of energy and enthusiasm.
That energy was infectious, touching onlookers along the route throughout the entire day, including this class of young students led outside by their teachers for an impromptu lesson on justice (little did they know they would receive the special surprise of a personal greeting by a member of the march security team in the process!)...
... and even spreading to our much-appreciated escorts from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, who warmly wished marchers well with high fives as the march entered Plant City limits, where Plant City Police Department personnel took over escort duty for the rest of the day.
With growing numbers, the march continued to wind its way through Plant City for the remainder of Day Thirteen...
... their breaks filled with music and the sounds of community...
... and their step lightened -- even after nearly 15 more miles of walking under a Florida sun that grew hotter through the day -- by the knowledge that their numbers would continue to grow in the days ahead and that their goal -- Lakeland and Publix headquarters -- was finally coming into sight, growing closer with every step they took.
The video above speaks for itself. Enjoy it now, and join us in Lakeland on Sunday.