Stilt walker
Neil Sauter, 30, of Blissfield Mich., straps stilts to his legs on South Superior Street in Albion Mich., Sunday morning, May 19, 2013. Sauter is walking 400 miles across the state to raise money for United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan. Sauter, who has Cerebral Palsy, has been walking on stilts for the past five years. "I thought it would be kind of a cool way to raise money with the visibility of the stilts," said Sauter. (Andrew Kuhn | MLive.com)
SPRING ARBOR TWP., MI — Standing on 3-foot-tall stilts with his head almost touching the ceiling, Neil Sauter told his extraordinary journey of walking across Michigan to about 50 people Sunday afternoon at Concord United Methodist Church.
Sauter, who has a mild case of cerebral palsy, has become an inspiration to many as he has attempted to raise money for United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan by walking across the state on his stilts.
After starting in Ann Arbor on April 12, Sauter finished his roughly 350-mile trip about 6:30 p.m. Sunday in Jackson at Bob Evans, 3321 E Michigan Ave.
“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting several people on my trip that are impacted by cerebral palsy, especially young kids,” Sauter said. “They would come up to me and say ‘It’s such an inspiration what you’re doing. Thank you for doing that.’
“That is an honor I am very proud to have. It’s kind of a feeling I’m very glad to have experienced.”
In 2008, Sauter completed his first "stiltwalk," traveling 830 miles and raising $85,000 for United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan. This year, because Sauter wasn't able to find anyone to match the donations, he estimated he would raise about $10,000 for the organization.
“For the last six weekends, I have been walking in different areas of the state, walking about 65 miles each weekend,” he said. “My average trip was about 20 miles a day and I have been taking main roads for most of the trip.”
Sauter said his idea to raise money for United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan is a result of the benefits he received when he was younger.
“My original motivation was that I was very fortunate to receive a scholarship for my cerebral palsy and I wanted to do something to pay it back,” he said. “After thinking about the trip in retrospect, I’m very proud of what I was able to accomplish fundraising wise and personal quest wise.”
He was introduced to stilts about five years ago. Sauter said that because of his cerebral palsy, it is easy for him to walk on stilts because it locks his ankles and provides stability similar to the braces he has worn in the past.
Along his trip through Michigan, Sauter said he has had the pleasure of speaking to many students about his journey and overcoming obstacles.
“It’s really cool to tell kids you’re going to face challenges in life, and you have to find a solution,” he said. “You can’t complain about it — just find a way to fix that problem.”
Moving forward, Sauter said he wants to make his trips an annual event, as long as the fundraising continues to be successful.
“Looking forward to the future, I think the key to a successful fundraiser is to plan shorter trips better,” he said. “I hope to kind of transition to a 5K event where people can walk with me a certain amount of miles per day and do those in different areas of the state.”