Dan Perritano pushes his daughter, Emma, 19, who has cerebral palsy, for Make-A-Wish.

Motorists driving on Route 19 in Butler County Tuesday may see a unique sight heading south. Make sure to wave when passing by.

Dan Perritano will be pushing his daughter Emma, 19, who has cerebral palsy, in a three-wheeled buggy.

“She waves to every car that goes by,” Perritano said.

The pair are on their way from Erie to Pittsburgh, walking south on Route 19, to raise money for Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

They put in about 16 miles on Monday, ending just past Route 108 before the Butler County line. That's where they'll pick up Tuesday morning, after going back home to Erie to rest up for the night.

More than raising money for charity, Dan and Emma like to walk. That's their main motivation.

“We just like to walk,” Perritano said. “She likes to be in the buggy. I have a job that gives me so much flexibility. A few years ago we said, let's start attaching some projects to this.”

Perritano works as men's soccer coach at Penn State Behrend, a job that also keeps him in shape for their trips.

Their first charity walk was in 2015, when they walked across Pennsylvania, following Route 6 about 360 miles, to raise money for the Arc of Erie County, a chapter of a national organization that provides support and programs to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Last summer they walked from Erie to DuBois to raise money for Grady's Decision, an Erie-based nonprofit that supports families who experienced premature birth and children who need specialized medical care.

This year it was time to support Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia — to pay it forward for the wish that Emma had been granted by the group 10 years ago, Perritano said. Their goal is to raise $5,000 for Make-A-Wish.

Emma went to Give Kids the World Village in Florida and visited Disney World on her Make-A-Wish trip. Dan's parents live in Florida, so they visited while their northern family members were in the area.

“We had a great weekend. It was fun,” he said.

Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia granted 705 wishes in 2017, according to the group's website. The average cost of a wish is $4,400. This chapter covers 57 counties in Pennsylvania and all of West Virginia.

The father-daughter pair walk between 10 and 20 miles a day on their charity excursions. It depends on the weather, the topography and how they're both feeling that day. Emma listens to pop music as they travel on the shoulder and has snacks at the ready.

Sometimes friends or passers-by walk some miles with them as well.

Emma's Hoyt Running Chair has thousands of miles on it, Perritano estimates. He and his wife Jane both walk around their neighborhood with it, in addition to using it on Dan and Emma's trips.

One of the challenges of doing a walk like this is securing rides. Sometimes family or friends can help get them back to where the van was parked in the morning. Other times they rely on the kindness of strangers or other local help.

“That's the hardest part for us, besides trying to be safe; the organization,” Perritano said.

Their walk started around Erie last week and hope to finish Saturday in Pittsburgh, just in time for the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community Pittsburgh, a 5K walk that benefits 78 area health and human services organizations, including the local Make-A-Wish Chapter.

To donate to the Perritano's cause, visit: https://bit.ly/2IpfAn5