| Knights help amputee veterans to get wheels |
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| Written by Mary Chalupsky | |||
| Tuesday, 05 January 2010 12:30 | |||
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WEST HAVEN – Willie Green has lived at the Veterans Administration health care facility for five years. Like most of the 10 to 12 veteran amputees there, he’s never had a means of going out to enjoy entertainment, social or sporting events in the area. That all changed Dec. 16 when a van, purchased with funds raised with significant help from the Knights of Columbus, was officially dedicated. With a price tag of $92,600, the van is specially equipped with tie-downs to carry eight motorized wheelchairs and three aides. The inaugural trip was to be on Dec. 21 to the Festival of Lights at New Haven’s Lighthouse Point. “This was my idea,” said Berton Francoeur, 88, a World War II veteran who was stationed in Africa in 1941. A resident of the VA medical center since his leg amputation five years ago, he got tired of seeing groups of veterans go out to baseball games, picnics, memorial services, and even funerals for fellow vets, while he and his amputee veteran friends stayed behind. “So I decided to raise some money for a bus,” he said. “Originally, we started at $30,000. But when I turned to the Knights for help, they took over the fund-raising and we went hog wild.” That translates into $105,000 raised over the past two years from 268 donors who wrote checks or helped to sell $1 “I support our amputee veterans” lapel pins one by one. The extra $12,000 raised will be used for maintenance. The Knights delivered the van to the VA facility on Nov. 6. It will transport the amputee veterans with drivers from the center’s transportation department. Mr. Francoeur’s request for help from the Knights was well-timed; it went specifically to the Knights’ then newly appointed state representative for veterans affairs volunteer services, Gary Thomas, formerly an executive at Hubbell Inc., a manufacturer based in Orange. With a business plan and the backing of hundreds of fellow Knights and their councils, Mr. Thomas methodically went about the business of reaching out to as many groups as possible. “I didn’t just want to raise money,” he said, “but to raise awareness about the VA medical center that’s often ignored by drivers who pass by here along the I-95 corridor.” In addition to the Knights, major donations came from individuals and groups including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Bayer Corp., Disabled American Veterans and Vietnam Veterans of America. At the dedication ceremony, Sharon Croteau, the center’s chief of voluntary services, referred to the below-freezing temperature outside. “But our hearts are warm. This is the perfect example of people banding together for one purpose, to help our veterans.” Echoing the sentiment of the day, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal noted, “Today, we give our veterans the respect they deserve. We say ‘thank you’ for your service and sacrifice and for what it means to be a great American.” Veterans were clearly moved by the occasion. “I’d just like to say thank you to everyone for raising the money for our bus,” said Jimmy Panetto, a member of the Veterans’ Amputee Support Group, which had been driving the project. “We’re very appreciative for what everyone has done for us to get this bus.” Added Marty Onieal, 93, “You gave us a new page in our lifestyle with this bus,” he said. “Believe me, we’re going to go places now.” Mr. Francoeur could barely get the words out while producing a plaque from members of his amputee support group to thank Mr. Thomas and the other donors and supporters. “I just want to say …” as his voice cracked, “I just want to say thank you for what you’ve done for us.”
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