Students from Collegiate School were the founders of RampsRVA in 2005.
In 2023 the Collegiate Club built three ramps and they have kicked off 2024 with a bang by building the first ramp of 2024 on MLK day.
These students have a true passion for raising funds and building ramps for those in need.
Mr. W is a 59 year old city resident who has right and left leg below-the-knee amputations. He has not left his mobile home for almost two months because he is unable to maneuver his stairs. Before his surgeries he was an avid biker. He lives alone.
The fantastic volunteers from Collegiate School changed his life on this Good Friday morning! In just two hours, despite some re-do’s and adjustments at Mr. W’s request, and with his help, the students completed his ramp. This will allow him to leave his home safely without any help, and he has set a goal of taking his electric bike down the ramp -for freedom! It is truly life-changing. Thank you Sadie (an old pro at this), Alexander, Charlie, Brayden, Heath, Asher, Blake and Nick, and faculty leader Dr. Headly.
Ms. W, 71, is a city resident who uses a wheelchair full-time due to paralysis from a stroke, and other health problems. Her friend and caregiver, Mr. V, who also lives in the household, is elderly and disabled too.
Because of the landscape and the surroundings, the ramp for this home, (connected to other houses in a hilly cul-de-sac with sidewalks to the street) was one of the most challenging builds we’ve faced recently.
Thank you Collegiate volunteers for giving up most of your day off to get the job done. You persevered and overcame numerous obstacles -building, adjusting, tearing down, rebuilding - till you figured it out and completed the ramp. Job well done!
Your hard work and ingenuity gave Ms. W the gift of freedom, safety, and connection to the outside world.
Sally M. is 70 years old and full-time wheelchair user due to neuropathy, diabetes, and a severe burn injury. Thanks to the students from Collegiate School, Sally will be able to get out of her home for medical appointments and not have to depend on a local ambulance service.
