After walking 57 miles with his brother on his back, Hunter Gandee was nothing but smiles as he crossed the finish line and hugged supporters on Sunday.

"Wow," the 15-year-old said to laughs after his mother removed Braden, 8, from his back.

Hunter and Braden Gandee were greeted with cheers as they marked the end of the second Cerebral Palsy Swagger walk to raise awareness of cerebral palsy, the neurological disorder Braden was born with.

The Gandee family walked from the Douglas Road Elementary School to the University of Michigan Pediatric Rehabilitation Center over the course of three days for the cause.

Previously, Hunter carried Braden 40 miles in the first event. This year, he added mileage and an extra day to visit more communities along the way.

Tears were shed by some onlookers as Hunter addressed the media and the crowd gathered at the rehabilitation center.

For parents such as Maureen Kijek, 44, of Shelby Township, even thinking about Hunter Gandee's efforts were cause for tears of joy.

"When I first heard about this last year, I immediately started crying," Kijek said. "As a parent (of a child with cerebral palsy) you feel alone so often. It's nice to see a community come together in support."

Kijek came to cheer at the finish line with her 14-year-old son, Andrew, who also has cerebral palsy.

Other parents said they also hope the walk will help spread awareness to clear up misunderstandings people might have.

Elaina Bell, of Fowlerville, said cerebral palsy comes in many different forms and there is no need to shy away those that have it.

Brian Hagler, 41, of Lansing, said those with cerebral palsy, such as his son Christopher, aren't so different from everyone else.

"There's nothing wrong with him," he said. "He just has a different challenge than everyone else."

Danielle Gandee, Braden and Hunter's mother, said there's many things her family didn't know about cerebral palsy - especially issues with limited mobility - that she hopes others will learn from her sons' effort.

"It was exhausting but worth it," she said.