Rudy Stolfer rolled out of Downtown on E. Broad Street yesterday hitting the road for Wheeling, W. Va. If he makes good time, he'll be there in eight or nine days.
The journey is the latest leg in Stolfer's walk across the United States. The peace activist set out from Oregon a year ago this week, dragging all his supplies, clothes, food, several Bibles, a tent in a makeshift coffin, mounted atop a cart. The coffin is to symbolize everyone who has died in wars, he said. "The basic premise this time is to end all wars. It's time to eliminate the differences that keep us from accomplishing world peace," he said.
The 48-year old former railroad worker from the Pittsburgh area calls himself a resident of the Earth. He quit his job of 16 years as a track maintenance worker in 1991 and began a career as an environmental and peace activist. He got involved with major hikes, when he happened across another activist planning a peace walk from southern Missouri to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention in 1996.
Since then, Stolfer has logged one cross-country journey and is in the middle of another, he said. He set out with five other activists on his current trek, but he's the only one still walking. The others dropped out for a variety of reasons; One man decided to go back to college; two others thought it was raining too much and decided to head south, he said. Stolfer, however says he may keep walking as long as his legs can take it.
"When I worked for the railroad, that was a tiring, boring job," he said." This, any time I want to stop, I can stop, if I want to take a break, there's nobody who comes out and says, "Hey, you've got to get on down the road."
Stolfer relies almost entirely on the generosity of stranger for food and, except when camped in his tent, shelter.
"Faith" he said. "Donations come. I don't solicit them. People walk up and say, "Can I give you $10? Can I give you a sandwich? Can I buy you a cup of coffee? Will you stop for our church dinner?"
While many people have offered him rides, he turned them down to uphold the integrity of his mission, he said.
Walking along highways is risky. Stolfer's friend, Kraig Mottar, was struck by a car that broke both of his legs while he was walking alongside a highway near Selma, Ala. Stolfer was beside him when it happened.
Stolfer hopes to end his journey in Washington, D.C., on Labor Day weekend. Until then, he doesn't know where his next meal will come from or where he will be sleeping. And it doesn't bother him.
"People are really awesome," he said. "The help has come from everywhere imaginable."