WASHINGTON, D.C. – From Erie, Pennsylvania to our nation’s capitol, a father-daughter duo traveled to D.C. by foot. It was all for a good cause.
Passing by the crowds of people in Washington, D.C., Erie locals Dan Perritano and his daughter, Emma, who has cerebral palsy, make their way towards the White House. This marks the end of their journey that started about 320 miles away.
“So we have walked from Erie, Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. right here behind the White House,” said Perritano. “It’s been over the course of 23 days.”
Passing the time by playing music, laughing and meeting people along the way.
“We’ve had some uphills, we’ve had some downhills, we’ve had some hot days, we’ve had days we had to bundle up when we started right Emma,” said Perritano. “We love it it’s a joy that we get to do this for two weeks a year.”
All this with a goal in mind: fundraising for the Erie Homes for Children and Adults MOVE program.
“It’s for individuals with special needs, it’s a day program,” said Perritano. “It’s a recreation program that Emma is a part of. Emma is exactly like she is at the MOVEs program, thumbs up or thumbs down you gotta give one,” said Perritano with Emma giving a ‘thumbs up’ motion.
“We value our time together and we walk because we enjoy it and we also try to do it to connect it something close to Emma,” said Perritano.
According to Emma, this trip has been a hit.
This is the sixth time the duo have made this journey to D.C. Perritano said they’ve raised about five-thousand dollars so far for the MOVEs program in Erie. They will keep the fundraising going for a little longer.
