The Chester P. Tuttle American Legion Post 279 in Auburn were contacted by a locally-based social worker about a family in need of a handicap ramp. Both husband and wife are military Veterans whose son Carlos uses a wheel chair and the ramps at their home were insufficient for use. 

The family (whose names are being withheld for their privacy) checked around but could not find anyone who was able to assist them in rebuilding the ramps. 

June Ganley, the social worker, reached out to Post 279 member Steve Gallant and he began the process of having a ramp designed by Tom Dillon, another Legion member. 

After the design was complete the plan was reviewed by Webster’s building inspector who told the veterans group to go ahead and do whatever was needed to help the family. The group went to several of the national “big box” home improvement stores to see if they could help in some way with the construction material. 

None of them could help us at that time, said Steve Gallant, so we went to C & S Lumber in Millbury and they graciously said they would bear the entire cost of the material. 

The next step was a call-out in the Post 279 newsletter looking for help to install the ramp. Bill Moore, the Commander of the Vernon Hill American Legion Post 435 saw the request and offered a lead on an aluminum ramp owned by the estate of a Veteran in Watertown who had passed and wanted the ramp to go to another Veteran. 

A call to the lawyer representing the estate soon put the ramp into the hands of the group looking to assist the family who were asking for it on behalf of their son. 

A small crew made up of Legion Post Riders 279, a motorcycle group, got together to assemble the ramp.   They were Mike Facchini, Amanda Provencher, Eric Hall, Doug Hall and Steve Gallant. 

A trip to Watertown to disassemble the ramp and bring it back to Auburn was next on the project agenda. 

We called C & S Lumber to let them know that we would not need them to give us the material and thanked them for their generosity, said Gallant.

The ramp assembly crew were also Legion Riders including Mike Facchini, Rich Reynolds, Chris Campos, Blair Sharleville, Cindy Gallant and Steve Gallant. The family was grateful for the help that Legion Post 279 and the Legion Riders provided.