www.gmwp.org/vision2013/angelavan

11/13/01

Angela Pichon is a 14 year old girl with cerebral palsy who lives in Lebanon, Tennessee. In April 2001, she underwent surgery at the Lexington SHRINERS Hospital.

In April 2001, Mount Juliet Lodge #642 and Lebanon Lodge #98 build a handicapped ramp at Angela's home. She received an electric wheel chair to help her get to classes as she entered high school. Although the school district provided transportation for her and her wheel chair to and from school, the family had no way of transporting the wheel chair to other activities.

In July, Angela's mother located a van, complete with chairlift, for sale for only $3000. Although this was quite a bargain, the family did not have the money to buy it. She contacted me for Masonic assistance. Wilson County District Chairman Brother Carl Howard and I worked with the four Wilson Co Lodges and raised $1000. We then worked with other fraternal organizations, churches, and others to raise the additional $2000. In August we purchased the van and delivered it to Angela. Angela is shown in the photo at left when she first saw her new van and in the photo at right using the chair lift.

This is a good example of how Masonic Lodges can provide leadership with other organizations to accomplish goals that are too big for Masons to do by themselves. Those participating in the purchase of Angela's van were: Lebanon Lodge #98, Mt Juliet Lodge #642, Joppa Lodge #411, and Comer Lodge #417, Lion's Club, Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs of Lebanon, Kiwanis Club of Mount Juliet, Saint Francis Catholic Church, New Hope Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Wilson Bank and Trust, Academy Bank, Liberty State Bank, and Wilson County Clerk-Jimmy Goodall.

Angela is shown in the photo at left with her sister Sarah and in the photo at right with her family (Sarah and her mother and father Sandra and Wayne)

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