Lions working together to build wheelchair ramp. (In front) Bill Emmert. (Second row, from left) Shea Targgart, Alan Targgart, Greg Leatherman, Stan Jacob. (Back row, from left) Ron Jones, Duane Stohlman, Pete Hochstetler, Brad Igney, Rick Carmein. (Photo Contributed by Alan Taggart)
When you ask for volunteers to do manual labor in ninety plus degree heat and you end up with MORE volunteers than anticipated, you must be working with the right kind of people.
On June 12, the Wolcottville Lions Club hosted a meeting with numerous special guests. They included the recipient of their 2025 College Scholarship Adrianna Govai and her mother Nikki Sturdivant, District 25B Governor James Bush from the Roanoke Lions Club, and four (4) members of the Albion Lions Club that the Wolcottville Lions wanted to thank for taking time out of their busy Memorial Day weekend schedule to assist the Wolcottville Lions in completing a wheelchair ramp for a family in need in Wolcottville, namely Rick Carmein, Bill Emmert, Stan Jacob, and Duane Stohlman.
Near the end of the meeting Lion Stan Jacob casually mentioned that the Albion Lions would be building another wheelchair ramp on Fish Lake in LaGrange County if anyone was interested in helping out. That was all that it took. Schedules permitting, there was a great deal of enthusiasm to join forces again between the two clubs to make someone’s life a little bit better.
Once the date was set, Lion Stan communicated with Lion Alan Targgart of the Wolcottville Lions and with Lion Brad Igney of the South Milford Lions and allowed them to spread the word throughout their clubs.
On July 10, the volunteers descended on Fish Lake. In total there were thirteen (13) volunteers who participated in the wheelchair ramp building project. Participating from the Albion Lions Club were Rick Carmein, Bill Emmert, Stan Jacob, Greg Leatherman, and Duane Stohlman, along with potential future Albion Lions Jim Bills, Ron Jones, and Don Shultz. Lion Brad Igney represented the South Milford Lions and Lions Pete Hochstetler and Alan Targgart in addition to potential future Lions Tim Dykstra and Shea Targgart were there for the Wolcottville Lions Club.
Due to the height of the entrance to the home and the size and shape of the lot along with the necessity to meet the Building Code requirements, some ingenuity was required. But Bill Emmert and Pete Hochstetler were able to design a configuration that met all codes and fit within the parameters of the lot.
Different groups handled different aspects of the build and before long the ramp was beginning to take shape. The original deck was removed and replaced, post holes were dug, and posts cemented in to create a pathway for the ramp. The process is tedious, but necessary to make sure that the ramp was stable and long-lasting. Finally, the project had reached a stage where all that was left was to secure the ramp boards themselves and to create sturdy and stable handrails for the ramp and the deck.
Then on Friday, Bill Emmert, Brad Igney, Ron Jones, Greg Leatherman, and Duane Stohlman reconnected and finished the project (albeit in the rain).
We would like to thank Habitat for Humanity for their continued support and underwriting of these vital projects. Once again, Lionism is the good kind of contagion, the kind that spreads volunteerism and the opportunity to work in unison with other like-minded individuals while providing necessary service to those in need in our community. Thank you to all of the Lions (and potential future Lions) for taking time out of your busy schedules to help a family in need. It does not go unnoticed. Bite ‘em!
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