Vicki L MorrisonOrganizers are hoping to make a difference at the Renos For Heroes Annual Golf Tournament taking place at the Brampton Golf and Country Club on June 11, 2015.
This year marks the sixth year for the crowd-pleasing fundraising tournament. The event will feature celebrity trick-shot golfer Brett Cleverdon of Long Drivers of Canada and a variety of guest speakers including injured soldiers offering testimonials of the benefit of Renos For Heroes programs.
“It’s an entertaining golfing event with really great lunch and dinner thrown in. We are always looking for pin sponsorship as well as golfers to take part in the event. In the past five years we have raised over $350,000,” said Deryl Caruk, executive director, Renos For Heroes.
Renos For Heroes is a registered charity that assists wounded soldiers in modifying their homes to meet the needs of their unique disabilities while minimizing expenses and reducing stress on the soldier’s family.
Founded in November 2009 by Toronto-based contractor Jim Caruk, the well-known host of HGTV’s Real Renos and Handyman Superstar Challenge, in association with volunteer contractors and manufacturers in the Canadian home improvement industry and with the support of the Canadian Armed Forces.
“Everyone recognizes the sacrifice that our soldiers have made, and the Canadian military takes care of its wounded men and women with great compassion and significant resources. But there are specialized building skills and materials that the Canadian home improvement industry should be offering, from the grassroots level to these veterans. That’s what we’re all about,” said Jim Caruk, brother of Deryl and founder, Renos for Heroes.
More than 100 Canadian military personnel have lost limbs since the Afghan mission began in 2002 and hundreds more have been seriously wounded. After months or even years of painful rehabilitation.
In Deryl and Jim Caruk’s opinions too many of these brave men and women are still having problems trying to live a normal life in their own homes, with their own families. This is because, in many cases, their homes have not yet been properly modified to take into account their decreased mobility.
Renovating a home for a disabled person requires more than just installing a wheelchair ramp or lowering a countertop. In many cases, major structural changes must be addressed, and special fixtures and equipment brought in. The Caruk brothers know work can be both expensive and stressful for the occupants.
Depending on the degree of physical impairment, renovations for the disabled can require extensive alterations to a structure and its systems. Without these changes to their living spaces, a home can become a prison for veteran recovering from amputations and trying to get used to artificial limbs and wheelchairs.
Everything from bathroom accessibility to the height of kitchen counter tops and vanities has to be considered. A single doorway may only be a few inches too narrow for a wheelchair to pass through, but that may require a major structural change.
Renovating a complete house to provide full disabled access requires specialized design skills, a contractor that knows how to make the modifications appropriately and efficiently, a wide range of building materials and finishing products–and significant funding. Renos For Heroes makes sure all of these components are in place.
Renos For Heroes is always looking for support. Modifying an existing home to meet the mobility needs of a disabled person is no easy task. With financial and volunteer support they can help injured men and women regain mobility in their own homes and live independent more lives.
Please visit the Renos For Heroes website for more information on their upcoming golf tournament or to make a donation.
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