Laps with Lou Walkathon Makes Strides, Celebrates 20 Years
For Lou Cutler, a longtime wish-granting volunteer, age is just a number.
“We don't stop playing because we get old. We get old 'cause we stop playing,” said Lou.
That mantra keeps him young – and walking for a good cause – because as his age goes up, so does the number of laps he completes for kids with critical illnesses.
For 20 years, Lou has organized a walkathon to help raise funds and awareness for Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington. It’s a cause near and dear to his heart, and it’s a passion he’s been proud to share with others, especially his students.
As a physical education teacher at Pathfinder K-8 in West Seattle, he wanted to find a way to make exercise fun for the kids he taught. An idea sparked and Laps with Lou was born. From the beginning, Lou wanted to ignite an enthusiasm and joy for helping others and exercising. He would show videos of wishes and talk about his wish-granting experience. His students would eagerly listen and learn about Make-A-Wish, sometimes asking questions about wish kids or the types of wishes he’s granted. When it came time to walk or run laps with him, they were so excited it was hard to get them to go home at the end of the day.
Laps with Lou at a local elementary school in 2014.
'Ringing' in another year of Laps with Lou in 2021.
“They utterly embraced it in a way that is just astounding to me,” said Lou. “They wanted to do as many laps as they could.”
Today, the walkathon has become an annual event to help make more wishes possible for kids in our community.
The first year, Lou completed 50 laps around the track, one lap for each birthday. As he’d run, his students would gleefully cheer him on – running, jogging or walking by his side.
Today, he’s retired, but the tradition lives on.
For 27 years, Lou has been volunteering at Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington. During that time, he’s granted more than 275 wishes for kids in our community.
When asked about his favorite wish memories, he said it’s hard to pick just one. He says they are all so special, but there is a phrase he never tires of hearing.
“My wish day was the best day of my life.”
He said he’s heard that phrase more times than he can count. And that is what keeps him walking. He sees firsthand the transformational power of a wish, and the smiles and joy a wish can bring to children and their families.
He thinks about the struggles and hardship children with critical illnesses face, and it gives him the strength to put one foot in front of the other year after year.
“We don't stop playing because we get old. We get old 'cause we stop playing,"
Lou Cutler
Make-A-Wish Volunteer
This year is the 20th anniversary of Laps with Lou. On June 17, 2023, he’ll complete 72 laps – 12 miles total!
“I'm not a doctor,” said Lou. “I can't cure anybody with medical science. This is the best I can do to help.”
So, he walks.
“I’m not giving up anytime soon,” he said with a big smile on his face.
“These kids are going through the most horrible treatments, and they feel terrible,” he continued. “What is this for me? This is just a walk in the park.”
You can help grant wishes for children in our community – no walking required! Become a wish-granting volunteer today!
Staff and wish-granting volunteers participating in Laps with Lou in 2021.