Shoreline Remodeler builds a wheel chair ramp for a neighbor

By Melissa Irons

This past Saturday, May 15, 2010 marked the 17th anniversary of the Master Builders Care Foundation’s (MBCF) annual Rampathon event. MBCF is the philanthropic arm of the Master Builders Association (MBA) of King and Snohomish Counties and coordinates several community events throughout the year. 

Photo: before the ramp

Since 1993, more than 300 ramps have been built by MBA builder captain members for neighbors in need and this year is no exception. Despite the economic situation, Irons Brothers Construction and several other builders and remodelers have joined efforts to continue to make this event possible.

Joseph Irons, the 2009 MBA Remodeler of the Year, and President of Irons Brothers Construction, based in Shoreline, WA built a wheelchair ramp for a fellow Shoreline resident. 

Joseph and his wife Melissa (pictured left, photo by DKH)  live in the Parkwood neighborhood and work in the North City neighborhood of Shoreline. Joseph and his team of volunteers have participated in Rampathon for the past 5 years. 

This year’s recipient, Ms. Bogen lives on 148th and Densmore Ave N which is within walking distance of the Irons home. This made the event even more special this year for his company and their family. Ms. Bogen is disabled and unable to the afford ramp construction. Her two sons care for her and assist with her activities of daily living as she battles hearing impairment and progressive illness confining her to a wheelchair.

Irons Brothers Construction Volunteers and staff pictured include: Joseph Irons, Melissa Irons, Scarlet Haney, Bruce Irons, Krystal Irons, Rhett Irons, Mark Stoddard, Ray Underwood, Lillard Beckwith, Chris Hensley, Delynda Leptich, Herco Ordana, Tony Puloka, Jose Arriaga, Valter Alfaro, and Ramon Mendoza.

On Saturday, Joseph and his team started their one day Rampathon construction project at 7:30 am and completed their ramp, including staining the wood after dusk at 9:00 pm. To coordinate and achieve the goal of one day construction, months of planning is required of the builder captain. This year 16 volunteers came together to help this family enjoy more freedom and accessibility. 

Joseph takes this philanthropic project very seriously and says, “Our ramps are built to last, usually outliving the home. We also want their ramp to blend in with the style of their home and the neighborhood. This is incorporated into our design plan.”

This year Rampathon builders constructed 18 wheelchair access ramps for disabled homeowners across King and Snohomish counties. This is all done at no cost to the recipients thanks to the generous volunteers and material suppliers who contribute countless hours and dollars to this great cause. 

Irons Brothers Construction would like to specifically thank the donors who made this year’s ramp construction possible: Home Depot, Dunn Lumber, Aurora Rents, Plywood Supply, and Three Guys Concrete.

To learn more about Rampathon and the MBCF visit Rampathon.  To learn more about builder captain Joseph Irons and Irons Brothers Construction visit their website.

Photos courtesy of: Irons Brothers Construction, Inc.