The following is this week’s I AM, YOU ARE, WE ARE Honoree by Ashton Greer
Michael Kasper is running Danville. Quite literally, he runs miles of pavement every morning, winding the streets of Danville long before most of us have rolled out of bed, averaging 6-10 miles each day. He started running in 2021 and found that he really does like it. He says, “It is not about being fast, it is about doing something I enjoy.” He just completed his first 100-mile race in Indiana a few weeks ago. He is intrigued by the question, “How far can I go?” And he is also intrigued by Danville, and how far this city has come and where it is going.
Through the years, his running hobby has evolved into a creative outlet. He carries his phone and takes photographs of the city from a unique perspective. Early morning, sun rising, silent streets, and with a runner’s high and miles of pavement before him, he aims his phone and captures the history, charm, character, mystery, and allure of Danville. Michael has always been creative and says, “I needed something that I could use for an artistic outlet that was also practical. Photography, I can do while I run. It’s a win-win.”
Michael was born in Fargo, ND and moved to Danville in May of 1996 as his dad was on the team spearheading the opening of the new Wal-Mart. He married his lovely wife, Sarah, in 2019. They met through mutual friends at a Danville Dasher’s game in 2016. He’s an independent contractor in the field of paintless dent repair and works at various body shops in the area and surrounding areas. Michael has a degree in Entrepreneurship from Illinois State University and says, “I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset. I like to be in control of my destiny and schedule. I am creative and I enjoy creative freedom.”
His entrepreneurial mindset is showing as he is currently compiling the photographs he’s taken on his runs through the years and writing a fascinating book. He says each photograph has inspired him to learn more. He is captivated by old buildings, vacant lots, and a changing landscape. He says, “This town has neglected so many beautiful structures. It is fascinating to learn about what this town has been.” And as he has learned, he has taken note, compiling it all into a single book that will inspire us all. He hopes to publish it within the next year.
The most inspiring thing about Michael is his discipline, consistency, and dedication to long-term goals. Through years of waking up at the crack of dawn and thousands of miles of pavement with a cell-phone camera and basic photo-editing app, Michael is inspiring a movement. He says that he has a unique perspective as he watches the Danville landscape change with every passing week. Michael says, “It is sad to see what we’ve lost of our history as we have neglected to preserve so many structures”, but he is also looking towards the future. He says, “Danville is changing. I see growth in so many ways and I am excited to be a part of it however I can be.”
To see more of his photography visit: https://www.facebook.com/michael.kasper.965
If you have someone you would like to share,
visit https://forms.gle/deCPiQ1cxn1pDLhZ9
or contact Ashton Greer, City of Danville agreer@cityofdanville.org or
Nicole Van Hyfte, Vermilion Advantage nvanhyfte@vermilionadvantage.com.
