With push from Eastern
Idaho, wheelchair project
for veterans embraced around
U.S.
By KAREN SARITA INGRAM February
8, 2015
DeeRay’s Auto Body
and Restoration
owner Brett Waters
says it’s an honor
to supply veterans
with wheelchairs.
“If you’re a
veteran, we’ll
definitely find a
chair if you need
one,” he said.
PAT SUTPHIN, POST
REGISTER
When Frank
Smith
decided to
help out a
friend and
fellow
veteran who
needed a
wheelchair,
he never
imagined his
act of
kindness
would
explode into
a project
that has
gained
nationwide
attention.
"It's a very
worthy
cause, but
I'm still
surprised at
the
attention
it's
getting,"
Smith said.
A local
chapter of
the Vietnam
Veterans of
America and
several
small Idaho
businesses
have joined
forces to
provide
electric-powered
wheelchairs
to disabled
veterans and
their
families.
It all
started
after the
death of
Smith's
friend, who
asked that
his powered
wheelchair
be donated
to a fellow
veteran.
Smith knew a
veteran in
an assisted
living
facility in
Pocatello
who could
use it, but
the chair
needed some
work.
The Idaho
Falls man
called on
his friend,
Brett
Waters,
owner of
DeeRay's
Auto Body in
Shelley.
When Waters
heard the
chair was
being
donated to a
veteran, he
offered to
do the work
for free. He
enlisted the
help of
another
friend,
Randy
Walker, of
Walker's
Upholstery
in Basalt,
and the
refurbished
chair was
delivered.
But Smith
saw a need
for more
wheelchairs
among
veterans.
"The body
armor the
Army
developed is
good at
protecting
the torso …
but a lot of
vets are
returning
with missing
limbs. And
older vets
are getting
older," he
said.
Smith then
discussed
doing the
same for
other
veterans in
need with
Bob Reinisch,
president of
Chapter 972
of the
Vietnam
Veterans of
America.
Reinisch and
Waters
agreed to
continue the
project.
They have
delivered
three chairs
to veterans
in the past
month.
Reinisch and
Waters were
featured in
a TV news
segment in
January,
which was
shown on
stations
nationwide
and
published
online.
Reinisch and
Waters
started
getting
calls from
all over the
country -
some who
just wanted
to say
thanks, some
who offered
to donate
wheelchairs.
Reinisch
said the men
have picked
up powered
wheelchairs
and electric
scooters
from
Rexburg,
Caldwell and
Boise, and
are sending
a truck to
pick up 16
chairs in
Wyoming this
month.
"It
absolutely
blew up. I
wasn't
expecting
that many,"
Waters said.
Barefoot
Storage in
Shelley
donated a
storage
unit.
"We've
gotten calls
from
Vermont,
Oregon,
North
Dakota,"
Reinisch
said. "So,
we've got
our hands
full, but
it's a
blessing.
We're not
complaining."
Figuring out
how to
transport
chairs to
Idaho is
something
Reinisch
said they're
still trying
to figure
out.
Manpower
also is a
problem.
Waters is
happy to
donate his
time
refurbishing
chairs for
veterans,
but he still
works full
time
repairing
cars for a
living and
cannot
afford to
sacrifice
his
business.
Reinisch
contacted
Shelley High
School to
have
students
help Waters
refurbish
chairs for
their senior
project.
Reinisch
said he was
speaking to
other
schools as
well.
Vince Wray,
an
agricultural
mechanics
and science
teacher at
Shelley High
School, said
two students
would help
first, then
possibly
five or more
later. "It's
a great
opportunity
for these
kids" to
provide
community
service and
learn job
skills, Wray
said.
Reinisch and
Waters said
their
biggest
needs are
cash
donations
and
batteries.
No matter
how good
chairs are,
they said,
the
batteries
are always
the first
thing to go
bad. Chapter
972 of the
VVA is
paying for
new
batteries,
but that
money may
soon run
out. To
donate,
contact
Reinisch at
541-4809.
Though they
have a lot
of work
ahead of
them,
Reinisch and
Smith say
the project
will
continue to
grow.
"I'd like to
see (this
project)
spread … at
least across
the
country,"
Smith said.
"It could
help a lot
of people,
and a lot of
these chairs
end up in
the
garbage."