THE WINDER NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15

The old expression "There are no strangers, just friends we haven't met yet" was exemplified by two fellows passing through town on foot earlier this week.

Kraig Mottar of Riverside Calif. and Rudy Stolfer of Washington Penn, took a brief rest Monday and Tuesday day in Winder during their cross Country march for peace. The two travelers started their trek down highway 29 on Dec. 3 in Washington D.C., and say they plan to continue walking until there is world peace. Their peace march originally begun with five other people in the nation's capital, but the others eventually dropped out, and now it is just the two of them.

'It's something I've always wanted to do, but things always got in the way—jobs or relationships," said Stolfer. When he met Mottar in July they both decided that they were finally ready to stand up and march for their beliefs.

What they call their amazing journey has been financed by donations and by the grass-roots lobbying group they represent that is working to abolish nuclear weapons world-wide.

After a quick meal in Winder, the men say they will continue walking southwest, and then get on Highway 80 and travel west through Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Their ultimate destination is Las Vegas, where they plan to protest a nuclear test site in April. From there they plan to walk up the western coast to Washington State

In order to reach Nevada in less than four months, they are keeping a tight schedule. The duo walks about 20 miles per day and sometimes more when they can't find a place to stop, said Mottar

When asked how long they intend to stay on the road, they replied that they will not stop until there is an agreement for world PEACE and a global nuclear disarmament. If it does not happen by next summer, they plan to walk back to Washington D C. by Labor Day, 1998.

Their hope is to regain spiritual oneness on the journey, for themselves and for others by their example.

"The bottom line message of our peace walk is that the little guy deserves better, " said Stolfer

These two "little guys" want to return power to the people and to that end have even formed their own organization: We Are Living The Results Of Our Thoughts, what they call "WALT ROOT."

Whether or not they will see world peace achieved in their lifetimes both are doing their small part for local peace. They have encountered what they described as southern hospitality all along the way, in places like Lynchburg Va. and Spartanburg, S.C., from everyone from the local law enforcement to average citizens.

"We're just carrying the message The Man gave us 2,000 years ago, to love your neighbor and to love God," said Stolfer.

On their journey they have encountered kindness all along the road, from strangers offering them food and shelter, even money, to people just asking to pray with them.

Stolfer and Mottar are keeping a journal with names and addresses of the people they meet along the way. Though they must leave their new friends behind, they are not sad, but glad to have had the chance to meet them. "There are no good-byes, just farewells," said Stolfer.