A Notable Milestone For Dumas Knights Of Columbus

Dumas—It’s been said that one is the loneliest number and 13 is the unluckiest number.

So, where does that place the number 100?

For Knights of Columbus Council #5061 at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, it’s a notable milestone number.

The council completed its 100th wheelchair ramp build on March 2 for eight-year-old Jaxon at his family residence just north of Dumas.

The council built its first wheelchair ramp on Dec. 15, 2015, according to Council #5061 Grand Knight Miguel Nevarez, who was introduced to this project while a parishioner at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Amarillo, and a member of Knights of Columbus Council #1450.

“I consider myself fortunate to be introduced to this worthy project when my wife Carol and I lived in Amarillo,” he said. “I introduced Dave Guevara, then the Grand Knight of Council #5061 and the rest of the council to the Texas Ramp Project. Since our first ramp, we’ve constructed ramps all over the Panhandle, including in Amarillo, Cactus, Etter, Dalhart, Sunray, Borger and Stratford. We’ve gone as far as Texhoma, Okla. and Plainview to build these ramps.”

Other Knights of Columbus Councils in the Diocese of Amarillo have assisted Council #5061 on numerous occasions to build wheelchair ramps in the past. They include Council #1450 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Amarillo; Council #9413 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Amarillo; Council #4621 at St. Joseph’s Church and St. Thomas the Apostle Church, both in Amarillo; Council #4635 at St. Laurence Church, Amarillo; Council #2776 at St. Anthony of Padua Church, Dalhart; and, Council #7573 at Blessed Sacrament Church, Amarillo.

Nevarez said the Texas Ramp Project, based out of Austin, supplies the tools and the lumber to the Knights through grants they receive from all over the state. Council #5061 provides the manpower.

“Recipients of ramps do not pay one penny out of pocket,” he added. “Before COVID-19, the average price of a 30-to 35-foot ramp was $750. Now, that prices average to between $1,200 and $1,400 per ramp.”

The process of applying and receiving a wheelchair ramp, according to Nevarez, is not that difficult.

“A healthcare provider or social worker applies online through TexasRamp.org,” he said. “All the website requires is some basic information on their application.”

The length of the ramp depends on the height of the recipient’s porch. Ramps are built by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, and Nevarez said that means for every inch of rise, there must be one foot of length.

“We’ve built ramps as short as 10 feet to just over 43 feet,” he said.

The teams representing Council #5061 building these wheelchair ramps have ranged from one to 20 people.

“Of course, it’s always better to have more help,” said Nevarez, who added that his brother Knights have gotten fairly proficient at building these ramps.

“Our main coordinator, Dave Guevara, receives word that a ramp is needed,” said Nevarez. “Dave then scouts out the location and comes up with a build plan and orders the supplies that are needed. We try to pre-build all our modules and cut our handrail uprights on the Friday evening before. The team shows up on a Saturday morning and we build the ramp. Typically, we spend about one to two hours pre-building and three to five hours building the ramp.

What is the most fulfilling part of building these ramps?
“I’d say it’s seeing the recipients, and their families faces when we’re done,” Nevarez said. “We’ve cried and laughed with many of them. A few of the recipients have told us they hadn’t been able to leave their houses in years due to the obstacles including stairs and thresholds.
“We’ve had children, teenagers and adults cry before, during and after the builds. I think this is one of the biggest reasons we all keep coming back to help build.”

Why do you and your brother Knights do this?
“For me, I feel like I’ve been called to serve in this capacity until I can no longer serve,” said Nevarez. “In asking the men of our council, the majority of the answers are its part of our duty as Knights—charity, unity and fraternity—all in one service.”

When asked about Council #5061 members who have been most instrumental in these wheelchair ramp builds, Nevarez singled out David Guevara, Fernando Guevara, Jesus Aranda, Jose Barraza, Jesus Villa and Juan Villa as the most active in helping with this council project.