HART COUNTY, Ky. — Stan Cottrell, a Hart County native, is running from Los Angeles to Washington D.C., looking to raise money for the youth as part of his Amazing Friendship Run. 

This is Cottrell's 73rd year of running, and he will be completing his fourth trip across the country. He said his passion is for the children. 

"My passion is about children," said Cottrell. "Children in need, because I was one of those little children.”

Cottrell has previously been recognized by the World Chamber of Commerce for his outstanding service and was even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. 

Stan Cottrell with a police officer as part of his journey on his Amazing Friendship Run. (Stan Cottrell)

"I made a covenant with myself when I was 12 years old, and I won a blue ribbon, and I liked the feeling of people saying, 'you can sure run fast,' and it was my eureka moment," said Cottrell. "Someone told me, 'if you keep running like this, you might grow up and be a champion.' I didn't know what a champion was, but I wanted to be one.”

Over his running journey, Cottrell has surpassed 270,000 miles. He runs 30 miles a day to complete the cross-country run in 100 days. 

“40% of the children didn't even have a coat the last winter, and I remember laying in bed as a child and shivering like mad," said Cottrell. "We didn't have heat. we had a fireplace and we didn't have running water or any of those kinds of things. So coming this winter, no child in our county will be without a coat.”

Cottrell is proud of his roots and wants to continue to inspire people to make a difference in their lives. He is raising money through various sponsorships topping $100,000. He even ran through his home state and county on July 12.

“It's a biblical term before you can go out Judea and Samaria take care of what is going on right in your own community," said Cottrell. "There are things that need to be fixed, and I just want to be involved.”