Dear Rotarians and Friends,

Kudos to all the Rotarians who joined us Saturday, for a long, tiring, but so rewarding day, as we built not one but two ramps.

Here is the press release that followed, prepared by Lari Young:

Southside Rotary "Ramp Champs" Help Local Communities

In conjunction with Rotary International's 109th Birthday February 23rd, The

Southside Corpus Christi Rotary Club "Ramp Champs" built TWO wheelchair

ramps for outlying communities on Saturday February 22nd in Robstown, TX and

Sandia, TX.   This is a first for our club to build two ramps in one day.

There is a definite need in these communities for the assistance. The

Robstown Ramp was for the Villanueva family.  The recipient is an

18-year-old recent high school graduate with Spina Bifida.  The Villanueva

family in Robstown needs assistance for their daughter to help her achieve a

better quality of life.  Her parents are also disabled, and her Mom has

difficulty as well getting up and down the stairs. We learned about this

project when one of our “Ramp Champs” was contacted by a former college

student of hers to say she had a family member that needed our assistance.

The "Ramp Champs"  then moved on to work to restore a ramp in Sandia, TX

that was not originally built by our club for the Barrientes family who

care for their Mother.  We appreciated the assistance of two members of the

Rotary Club of Kingsville with this project.  Southside Corpus Christi Rotary Club members

build approximately six to eight ramps per year with the program now in its

fourteenth year.  To learn more about Southside Rotary or to join our club

please find us on Facebook or at our website

http://www.southsidecorpuschristi.rotary5930.org.

BACKGROUND:

In 2001 Southside Rotary began their ramp project to help those in need who

could not otherwise afford a wheelchair ramp.  The "Ramp Champs," as they

are called, learned ramp building from the St. Marks Episcopal Church ramp

builders. Continuous club fundraisers help sustain the project.  Club

members and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Rotaract students, in

conjunction with leads from the Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living,

build approximately six to eight ramps per year.

PHOTO Sandia Ramp ATTACHED

PHOTO CREDIT:  Alan Guggenheim

Pictured front Row (L-R), Gerene Beckley, Debbie High,

Michelle Maresh-Fuehrer, Kyle

Fuehrer, Suzanne Guggenheim,

Celia Barrientes, Dyke Henderson, Erasmo Nava

2nd Row (L-R)  Rod Vaughn, Don Ratcliff, Joe High, Gary Jeffress, Ruben Barrientes, Richard Espinosa, Alan Guggenheim

PHOTO Robstown Ramp ATTACHED

PHOTO CREDIT:  Glen Jones, not pictured.

 Pictured front Row (L-R), Alan Guggenheim, Anita Spreen, Debbie High, Erasmo Nava, Dyke Henderson, Richard Espinosa

 2nd Row (L-R)  Gary Jeffress, Rod Vaughn (hidden), Kyle Fuehrer, Michelle Maresh-Fuehrer, Rodney Eve, Joe High, Don Ratcliff, Suzanne Guggenheim, Gerene Beckley, Melissa Villanueva,  Maria Villanueva, Domingo Villanueva.

For those who have not yet participated to one of our Ramp building xpeditions, I highly recommend it. You will not regret it.

Yours in service,

Suzanne Guggenheim

Prsident 2013-2014