By Cameron Poague
Master Builders Association
In the greater Puget Sound region, it’s not atypical to hear the constant buzz of saws and drills and hammers hard at work, sounds that represent area companies building new residences and offices for the continuous influx of new residents.
This past Saturday, however, there was another sound that filled the warm spring air.
Call it the sound of hope renewed and the freedom to move about unlocked. Saturday was the 25th anniversary of Rampathon, a yearly event produced by member volunteers of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. The association has been gifting free wheelchair access ramps to area neighbors in need since 1993, with an event-record 48 more built this year. In total, some 500 ramps have been constructed across King and Snohomish counties.
This year’s ramp recipients included four Bothell residents. The ramps were built by area companies Westhill Inc. and LDC Inc. Logan Shepard and his mom, Nicole, got one of the ramps built by LDC. Shepard has cerebral palsy and is unable to walk, sit or stand without the assistance of his medical stroller. For Shepard and Nicole, getting in and out of the house was a constant challenge—until Mark Villwock and LDC offered their services. Villwock, vice president of the company, also sits on the Master Builders Association Board of Directors.
“May 2018 marks the third year LDC has participated in Rampathon,” Villwock said in a press release from Master Builders. “We feel blessed to be able to give back to our community by participating in such a worthy cause.”
For volunteers like LDC, the event is as impactful to them as it is to the recipients they assist.
“This year was particularly significant,” Villwock added, “as our company has increased participation from two ramps to three. Nearly 100 percent of our dedicated team participate in this event year after year and we are all looking forward to assisting families within our community next spring 2019.”
Shepard left his handprints in the ramp’s concrete as a unique reminder of what LDC was able to offer him and his family.
For families like the Shepards, Rampathon allows them to live life the way they want. His family commented that their new ramp is “life-changing.”
