One man’s “love affair” with the East Coast has brought him through Prescott.
Yesterday afternoon Michael Sutherland was greeted by a welcoming committee when he walked up to the Prescott Clock Tower. The crowd were all smiles, hugs and handshakes as they welcomed him to town with a cold drink and hot sausage.
Sutherland’s story starts when he was diagnosed with diabetes and decided he wanted to visit the East Coast. He loaded up his RV and started driving but his RV’s will to see the Atlantic Ocean wasn’t as strong as his and the vehicle died on him. Unfazed he loaded some essentials onto a push cart and started walking towards the sunrise. At first Sutherland says he was travelling five to 10 kilometres a day but as time passed he has increased his daily total to between 30 and 40 kilometres daily. The going isn’t easy for him with both the weight of his cart, and diabetes taking part of his foot, slowing his progress. According to Sutherland he barely notices the 12 hours he spends walking every day because the kindness of strangers keeps him in high spirits.
Kindness was in no short supply when Sutherland arrived in Prescott as he found a group of people anxiously waiting to see him. Kevin Hutt, Fort Town Franks Grillmaster, made sure Sutherland had a bite to eat and some cold tall boys to wash it down. Some locals were also on hand to help Sutherland get his bandages changed and find him a place to set up camp for the evening.
Sutherland says he has no intentions of stopping his trek and that he hopes to make it to Halifax when everything is done.