Kent man, woman to receive free wheelchair ramps

Volunteers from the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish counties will build 15 free wheelchair ramps for low-income disabled homeowners on May 19, part of its 19th annual Rampathon event.

  • BY Wire Service
  • Friday, May 11, 2012 4:47pm
  • News
Crews are scheduled to build a free wheelchair access ramp for Steven Wangsness of Kent.

Crews are scheduled to build a free wheelchair access ramp for Steven Wangsness of Kent.

Volunteers from the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish counties will build 15 free wheelchair ramps for low-income disabled homeowners on May 19, part of its 19th annual Rampathon event.

Crews will assemble a new ramp for Kent’s Steven Wangsness, who has been wheelchair bound for five years. Rob VanHouten, of Powell Custom Homes and Renovations, will serve as ramp captain.

Led by ramp captain Kris Quigley, a crew will build a new ramp for Kent’s Alicia Hernandez, a double amputee.

Teams from the Master Builders Association have constructed 320 wheelchair ramps since 1993.

“Builder captains will lead their teams in constructing access ramps giving recipients the ability to get in and out of their homes with greater ease and flexibility,” said Art Castilleja, 2012 Rampathon chairman. “For many of them, it will be the first time in years they have not had to rely on family or friends just to get in and out of their homes.”

Each ramp represents a unique challenge for the team as they adapt design and construction to the existing landscape and the recipient’s needs, Castilleja said.

The Master Builders Care Foundation is the philanthropic nonprofit arm of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish counties. Founded in 1909, the Master Builders is a trade association comprised of nearly 3,000 companies involved in the residential and light commercial construction industry. It is the nation’s oldest and largest local home building association affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders.


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