Rotary Constructs Ramp for Randy Watson
Thursday, April 18, 2024
By Bruce Gandy
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The Ramp Crew of the Madison County Rotary Club constructed its 939st handicap ramp for Randy Watson on Hwy 29, North, in Danielsville 0n Thursday, 18 April 2024. This was a large ramp from the porch to the ground requiring two 4’ by 5’ platforms tied together by a 14’ and a 12’ ramp. Randy is a lifelong resident of Madison County where he and his father owned and operated Watson Tractor Company for 38 years. Randy also worked as a long-haul truck driver. But Randy now is facing daunting medical challenges including melanoma, recovering from a recent stroke, and pulmonary thrombosis. Thankfully, he and his wife, Kathy, were able to rear a large and loving family. Since he lost Kathy recently and since he requires constant care, Randy now lives with his daughter, Melinda, and her husband, Timothy. Randy’s other children, Randy Lee, Melissa, Kristi, and Brandy are close by and, together with Melinda, have blessed him with 5 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Melinda and Randy joined the ramp crew in the accompanying photograph. The family also kindly gave a generous ramp donation to the Rotary Club of Madison County for its charitable work. This week’s crew consisted of Guy Spencer, Artry Bishop, Don Sullinger, Walton Hill, Bruce Gandy, Wade Scarboro, Ed Brown, Roy Nunnally, and Alan Phillips.
Thursday, April 18, 2024
By Bruce Gandy
The Ramp Crew of the Madison County Rotary Club constructed its 939st handicap ramp for Randy Watson on Hwy 29, North, in Danielsville 0n Thursday, 18 April 2024. This was a large ramp from the porch to the ground requiring two 4’ by 5’ platforms tied together by a 14’ and a 12’ ramp. Randy is a lifelong resident of Madison County where he and his father owned and operated Watson Tractor Company for 38 years. Randy also worked as a long-haul truck driver. But Randy now is facing daunting medical challenges including melanoma, recovering from a recent stroke, and pulmonary thrombosis. Thankfully, he and his wife, Kathy, were able to rear a large and loving family. Since he lost Kathy recently and since he requires constant care, Randy now lives with his daughter, Melinda, and her husband, Timothy. Randy’s other children, Randy Lee, Melissa, Kristi, and Brandy are close by and, together with Melinda, have blessed him with 5 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Melinda and Randy joined the ramp crew in the accompanying photograph. The family also kindly gave a generous ramp donation to the Rotary Club of Madison County for its charitable work. This week’s crew consisted of Guy Spencer, Artry Bishop, Don Sullinger, Walton Hill, Bruce Gandy, Wade Scarboro, Ed Brown, Roy Nunnally, and Alan Phillips.
Rotary Constructs Ramp on October Wood Drive
Thursday, April 4, 2024
By Bruce Gandy
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Members of the Rotary Club of Madison County and volunteers constructed their 938th handicap ramp, a 24-foot access ramp on Thursday, 4 April 2024, for Peter Tsioutsias, who lives on October Wood Drive in Jackson County. Peter is suffering from Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia requiring frequent monitoring and treatment. Although Peter maintains an active lifestyle, it costs him. He has lost strength and, at times, is unsteady on his feet. With his new ramp, he feels confident leaving his house since he no longer relies on the steps down from his porch. Peter lives alone, but he has devoted friends who take his well-being seriously, because one friend contacted Rotary asking for help getting him safe access to his home. Peter joined the ramp crew in the accompanying photograph. The Rotarians and volunteers who worked on the ramp included Ed Brown, Bruce Gandy, Alan Phillips, Artry Bishop, Danny Dills, Roy Nunnally, Walton Hill, Bobbie Gower, Guy Spencer, Don Sullinger, and Mitchell Hill.
Thursday, April 4, 2024
By Bruce Gandy
Members of the Rotary Club of Madison County and volunteers constructed their 938th handicap ramp, a 24-foot access ramp on Thursday, 4 April 2024, for Peter Tsioutsias, who lives on October Wood Drive in Jackson County. Peter is suffering from Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia requiring frequent monitoring and treatment. Although Peter maintains an active lifestyle, it costs him. He has lost strength and, at times, is unsteady on his feet. With his new ramp, he feels confident leaving his house since he no longer relies on the steps down from his porch. Peter lives alone, but he has devoted friends who take his well-being seriously, because one friend contacted Rotary asking for help getting him safe access to his home. Peter joined the ramp crew in the accompanying photograph. The Rotarians and volunteers who worked on the ramp included Ed Brown, Bruce Gandy, Alan Phillips, Artry Bishop, Danny Dills, Roy Nunnally, Walton Hill, Bobbie Gower, Guy Spencer, Don Sullinger, and Mitchell Hill.
Rotary Constructs Ramp for Stephen Beck
Thursday, March 21, 2024
By Bruce Gandy
The Ramp Crew of the Madison County Rotary Club constructed the 937th handicap ramp, a 16’ ramp with a 4’ x 5’ landing, for Stephen Beck on Three Angels Road in Madison County on Thursday, 21 March 2024. Stephen and his wife, Denise, have not been in Madison County long, but they, and their 4 children and 12 grandchildren, are happy they finally settled here. Unfortunately, Stephen has been sidelined from his profession as an accountant due to significant health challenges, including Congestive Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The Beck family attends the Mt. Pleasant Community Church. Stephen joined the volunteers and Rotarians of the ramp crew in the accompanying photograph. The workers were Alan Phillips, Walton Hill, Artry Bishop, Don Sullinger, Guy Spencer, Danny Dills, and Ed Brown. The Beck family also made a generous contribution to help assist the Rotary Club in continuing to serve the community.
Thursday, March 21, 2024
By Bruce Gandy
The Ramp Crew of the Madison County Rotary Club constructed the 937th handicap ramp, a 16’ ramp with a 4’ x 5’ landing, for Stephen Beck on Three Angels Road in Madison County on Thursday, 21 March 2024. Stephen and his wife, Denise, have not been in Madison County long, but they, and their 4 children and 12 grandchildren, are happy they finally settled here. Unfortunately, Stephen has been sidelined from his profession as an accountant due to significant health challenges, including Congestive Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The Beck family attends the Mt. Pleasant Community Church. Stephen joined the volunteers and Rotarians of the ramp crew in the accompanying photograph. The workers were Alan Phillips, Walton Hill, Artry Bishop, Don Sullinger, Guy Spencer, Danny Dills, and Ed Brown. The Beck family also made a generous contribution to help assist the Rotary Club in continuing to serve the community.
Rotary Club Builds Its 936th Ramp for Kenneth Scarborough
Thursday, March 14, 2024
By Bruce Gandy
The Madison County Rotary Club Ramp Crew constructed a 30-ft handicap ramp on Thursday 14 March 2024, on New Hope Church Road in Comer. According to Rotary leaders, Kenneth is a lifelong Madison County resident and together with his wife, Mary, have built a close family of two daughters, Sarah and Jewell, and three sons, Josh, Michael, and Rodney. Kenneth worked his life as a logger in the timber industry and Mary provides home care services, but now she stays at home caring for Kenneth. Although blessed with support from his family, Kenneth is fighting stage 4 lung cancer. Kenneth was always an outdoorsman, but cancer confined him to his home until Rotary built this ramp so he can be safely wheeled out to sit in his yard. To him it is God-sent relief. Mary, his daughters, Jewell and Sarah, and granddaughter Scarlett, joined the ramp crew in the accompanying photograph. The Rotarians and volunteers who made the ramp possible for Kenneth were Alan Phillips, Artry Bishop, Bruce Gandy, Don Sullinger, Roy Nunnally, and John Taylor.
Thursday, March 14, 2024
By Bruce Gandy
The Madison County Rotary Club Ramp Crew constructed a 30-ft handicap ramp on Thursday 14 March 2024, on New Hope Church Road in Comer. According to Rotary leaders, Kenneth is a lifelong Madison County resident and together with his wife, Mary, have built a close family of two daughters, Sarah and Jewell, and three sons, Josh, Michael, and Rodney. Kenneth worked his life as a logger in the timber industry and Mary provides home care services, but now she stays at home caring for Kenneth. Although blessed with support from his family, Kenneth is fighting stage 4 lung cancer. Kenneth was always an outdoorsman, but cancer confined him to his home until Rotary built this ramp so he can be safely wheeled out to sit in his yard. To him it is God-sent relief. Mary, his daughters, Jewell and Sarah, and granddaughter Scarlett, joined the ramp crew in the accompanying photograph. The Rotarians and volunteers who made the ramp possible for Kenneth were Alan Phillips, Artry Bishop, Bruce Gandy, Don Sullinger, Roy Nunnally, and John Taylor.
Rotary Club of Madison County Handicap Ramp Program
Sunday, October 1, 2023
By Edward A. Brown
The Rotary Club of Madison County started building ramps for disabled individuals in 1995. In 1995, while making a "Meals on Wheels" delivery to Mr. Harold McCarty, who had polio, a club member noticed that he was having great difficulty getting in and out of his house. The club came back and built him a handicap ramp that took most of the day.
These ramps are built at no cost to the ramp recipient. If they can afford a donation to the Ramp Program, it is welcomed but is not mandatory. The club has built ramps for diabetics, stroke victims, heart attacks victims, accidents, polio, birth defects, amputations, and many other disabilities. There are no Federal, State or local funds available for handicapped ramps other than through the Veterans Administration. This is an example of a service organization recognizing a need and doing something about it. Most of our ramps are in Madison County but we have gone to surrounding counties when the need is great. Other counties include Greene, Oconee, Clarke, Jackson, Barrow. Habersham, Oglethorpe, Walton, Hall and Franklin. We helped the Rotary Club of Royston-Franklin Springs (now Franklin County Rotary Club) and the Gainesville Rotary Club develop a successful ramp building program.
Financial support for the ramps comes from club fund-raising projects, and donations from the community and organizations. We have received grants and donations from the Francis Wood Foundation, Jackson EMC Foundation, and from other local organizations. Depending on the size of the ramp, it may take from 20 to 35 manhours or more to plan and construct. The materials for each ramp can run between $500 and $1250 or more. Rotary Club members and community volunteers give freely of their time to plan and construct the ramps and provide all the labor.
If you want to be part of this very successful program and financially support the Ramp Program effort, you can send your financial contribution with a note indicating it is for the "Handicap Ramp Program" made out to “Madison County Rotary Foundation” and mailed to:
Rotary Club of Madison County
P.O. Box 596
Danielsville, GA 30633
Sunday, October 1, 2023
By Edward A. Brown
The Rotary Club of Madison County started building ramps for disabled individuals in 1995. In 1995, while making a "Meals on Wheels" delivery to Mr. Harold McCarty, who had polio, a club member noticed that he was having great difficulty getting in and out of his house. The club came back and built him a handicap ramp that took most of the day.
These ramps are built at no cost to the ramp recipient. If they can afford a donation to the Ramp Program, it is welcomed but is not mandatory. The club has built ramps for diabetics, stroke victims, heart attacks victims, accidents, polio, birth defects, amputations, and many other disabilities. There are no Federal, State or local funds available for handicapped ramps other than through the Veterans Administration. This is an example of a service organization recognizing a need and doing something about it. Most of our ramps are in Madison County but we have gone to surrounding counties when the need is great. Other counties include Greene, Oconee, Clarke, Jackson, Barrow. Habersham, Oglethorpe, Walton, Hall and Franklin. We helped the Rotary Club of Royston-Franklin Springs (now Franklin County Rotary Club) and the Gainesville Rotary Club develop a successful ramp building program.
Financial support for the ramps comes from club fund-raising projects, and donations from the community and organizations. We have received grants and donations from the Francis Wood Foundation, Jackson EMC Foundation, and from other local organizations. Depending on the size of the ramp, it may take from 20 to 35 manhours or more to plan and construct. The materials for each ramp can run between $500 and $1250 or more. Rotary Club members and community volunteers give freely of their time to plan and construct the ramps and provide all the labor.
If you want to be part of this very successful program and financially support the Ramp Program effort, you can send your financial contribution with a note indicating it is for the "Handicap Ramp Program" made out to “Madison County Rotary Foundation” and mailed to:
Rotary Club of Madison County
P.O. Box 596
Danielsville, GA 30633