Rampathon in Renton brings ramp to little girl in need

With her granddaughter getting older and heavier, and her wheelchair already not making it up the steps to their Renton home, Corin Goodwin said a new ramp will make a big difference.

On July 27, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish County, in partnership with Lochwood-Lozier Custom Homes, hosted one of their stewardship endeavors called Rampathon at Goodwin’s home.

This new ramp was built for 3-year-old F.L. (she is going by this for safety reasons), who has various health complications such as chronic lung disease and cerebral palsy, so she can safely transition from places such as the family’s van to their home, said Charlene Lam, Community Stewardship Specialist.

Corin Goodwin said and her husband have their own health problems, so carrying their growing granddaughter from the van to the house all the time is getting tougher. F.L. has a wheelchair, but it’s far too heavy to carry up the steps to the home, so they rely on carrying her. But now, with the new ramp, they can move F.L. around more and give her opportunities to be more social. Goodwin said the ramp will also help another young family member with mobility issues.

“We were leaving it [her wheelchair] out in the van, and we carry her in and out, so we didn’t have use of it inside. So this is going to mean we can take her in and out in it,” Goodwin said. “It means that she can come out here and sit with the neighbors when people are hanging around because we have friendly neighbors. We have people who come by, you know, riding their horse and petting their dogs and little kids, and so she doesn’t have to just sit there and watch through a window. It’s going to make a difference.”

Goodwin said they tried every possible resource to get financial help for a ramp installation, but every search led to a dead end. Goodwin said their case manager mentioned that the Master Builders Association offered ramps and that they should apply. She said they didn’t really expect anything to come from the application because they had already tried so many different avenues, but when they got accepted, she jumped with joy.

“I was like, ‘Whatever, fine, let’s try it,’ and they accepted us. I jumped up and down,” Goodwin said. “We were so relieved. It was really a big deal.”

Jerry Hall, Executive Director of the Master Builders Association, said that through Rampathon, they’ve built over 625 ramps since the program’s inception in 1993. In 2024, Hall said they’ve built 26 ramps in 15 different cities.

“Our goal with Rampathon is simple, yet transformative,” Hall said. “It’s to help our neighbors in need with increased accessibility and increased happiness and increased independence that comes from having a ramp to help them get to and from their home.”

Hall said that when someone gets a ramp, they can get to and from their home with ease and safety, and the ramp becomes a portal from their home to the region. He said people from the community can get involved with Rampathon by referring them to the Master Builders Association. Additionally, he said they could always use more community engagement, so if people want to help, they can volunteer their time and expertise.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be visiting ramp site locations for about six years now,” Hall said. “And, in many instances, you can see the joy, sometimes tearful joy, that comes across the faces of the individuals and the families because they now have the freedom and the independence that they didn’t have previously.”

Todd Lozier, president of Lochwood-Lozier Custom Homes, who installed the ramp, said they’ve been building ramps for people in need for 20 years. He said the company builds great homes, and they love to talk about those, but nothing is more rewarding than bragging about that ramps they build.

“We love being part of this. It’s giving back to our community, and we have some great skill sets here,” Lozier said. “Frankly, summers are busy, but we could always find room on at least one Saturday to give back.”