The message - rolled into a container decorated with a peace symbol, leaf and stick figure - will be biked to New York, sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in a yacht, and biked and hiked from Belgium to Turin, where it will be delivered to Mayor Sergio Chiamparino at the end of July.

Lillehammer, Norway, started the tradition when it sent a message to Nagano, Japan, in 1997. In 2001, Nagano delivered one to Salt Lake City. As part of the tradition, the message cannot be sent using fossil fuels, though the delivery team will travel to Europe via airplane.

Along the route, bicyclists - including Jeff Niermeyer, deputy director of Salt Lake City's Department of Public Utilities, and Park City resident and bike racer Marc Wangsgard - will stop at schools to share the message. A video diary will be produced about the trip. And a Web site, http://slc2torino.com, will track the journey. The site also includes text of Salt Lake City's message.

Deputy Mayor Rocky Fluhart and his wife and the mayor's friend Bill Underwood and his wife will carry the message in Europe. Mayor Rocky Anderson will join the crew in Milan in late July for the last leg of the journey.

Most of the $156,000 cost will be paid by sponsors, though $20,000 will come from city coffers. It was reallocated from the canceled Winterfest celebra- tion.

The fund will pay for the city employees' trip. The other team members are paying their own ways.

hmay@sltrib.com