Sarah Ford AP Staff
Photos courtesy Rebecca Jo Cook
A 92-year-old walker on a mission to help others will be spending the night in Prophetstown on Saturday, June 24 as part of his fundraising trek across northern Illinois. Dean Troutman of Princeville, IL is on the back leg of his 350-mile “Troutman’s Trek” as he raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
He left home for his two-state trek on May 21 and aims to be back at some point in July, though he’s not on a tight schedule. He arrived in Morrison via Route 78 on Thursday and will be “sleeping under a big maple tree” in a resident’s yard before continuing his journey east and south.
He’ll leave for Prophetstown Friday morning, but since it’s a 12-mile distance and he only walks ten miles each day, he plans to set up camp outside of town Friday night and walk through around 9:30 or 10 a.m. on Saturday before finding a place to rest overnight. He’s not quite sure where he’ll stay yet, but he always finds a place. He’s also expecting a companion from Galesburg to meet him on Thursday to walk with him the rest of the way home.
Troutman’s goal for this walk is to raise $20,000 for St. Jude’s. As of Thursday, he’s raised $12,106, with the funds going toward the healthcare non-profit which ensures that the families of children receiving care will not have to pay for treatment, travel, housing, or food, and instead can focus on their child’s healing.
His route has already taken him through Freeport, Cedarville, and Oneco, IL, then Monroe, Brownstone, South Wayne, and Gratiot, Wisconsin before heading back south to Illinois. Destinations on his way back have included Warren, Stockton, Pleasant Valley, Mount Carroll, and Morrison. After Prophetstown, he’ll continue to Hooppole, Annawan, Kewanee, Toulon, Wyoming, and finally home to Princeville.
His main companion on his journey is a modified wheeled cart with two orange flags and an American flag mounted on two poles. He pushes the cart that holds his survival gear of food, clothing, water, a phone and a sleeping bag. He likes to start walking early, often around 5:30 a.m., but each day is different and he just goes with the flow.
He enjoys people joining him on his treks, or chatting with him as he stops at each location. He sleeps at fire stations, campgrounds, or on the ground under a tree. He says he likes sleeping under the stars and the heat doesn’t really bother him. Some communities have offered police escorts, and he always wears a bright yellow shirt so he stands out a bit more on the roads.
This isn’t the first time that Troutman has walked long distances to help raise money for a cause. His first one was in 2014 at age 84, when he set out to raise money for Troutman Park in memory of his late wife Dorothy. He was able to bring in $70,000 in donations during that inaugural walk.
In 2015, he started walking for St. Jude’s and completed a 500-mile trek from Princeville to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, ultimately raising $10,000. He was able to walk 30 miles a day back then. He’s walked a total of 2,000 miles since starting his treks, with most of the funds going to St. Jude’s.
Troutman has lived in Princeville, located in Peoria County, since 1949. He and Dorothy had four children and he managed a farm supply store, retiring in 1976. When he’s not walking across the state, he enjoys spending time in his woodworking shop at home.
Pledges can be made directly to St. Jude through Troutman’s fundraising page at troutmanstrek.pbworks.com, or HERE
Checks to St. Jude can be mailed to St. Jude Event-Dean Troutman Walks for St. Jude, Attn: Alex Fountain, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38101. Follow Troutman’s progress on his Facebook Page. and if you see he’s in the neighborhood, come on out and say HI!
One Response
What an inspiration he is and a good cause for sure.