THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 23, 1996 TAG: 9608230115
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY NANCY LEWIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 70 lines
It took three years and lots of helping hands, but Thursday a group of hospitalized disabled veterans boarded a special bus in Hampton bound for a downtown Norfolk waterfront restaurant - and they didn't even have to get out of their wheelchairs to make the trip.
The six veterans, all patients of the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Hampton, wanted to thank some folks and fellow vets at Reggie's British Pub.The pub, a favorite haunt of servicemen and veterans at the Waterside Festival Marketplace, helped raise $90,000 for the specially equipped transport.
``You don't feel the bumps so much,'' said Sidney Lovell, a 59-year-old Vietnam vet who is confined to a wheelchair because he is paralyzed from his chest down.
Lovell, who's been a patient at the Hampton facility for eight years, had a hard time making up his mind what to order for lunch. He finally settled on the seafood platter.
This is not your ordinary bus. It sports a motorized wheelchair lift and special suspension to make the ride practically bump-free. Patients just wheel, or are wheeled, onto the lift. Once aboard, their wheelchairs are buckled into place.
The fund-raising project got off the ground in 1993, when Reggie's General Manager Carl Costa joined hands with Norfolk's Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 21.
Pub owner Reggie Mitchell, a British veteran, ``wanted to make sure we did enough for them,'' said Costa, so he encouraged the project.
``It's nice to be able to see them get out,'' said Costa, watching the vets order their food.
Others at Reggie's also did their part to raise money for the bus.
Assistant Manager Dawn Wheeler made special arrangements such as weekly house specials prepared with foods donated by Valley Poultry of Norfolk - with proceeds going into the kitty.
And there was John Coggeshall, a Virginia Beach lawyer who lives in Norfolk and also does a comedy routine.
For three years, he turned over the fee he earned from Reggie's for his weekly act.
``It's a terrific group to perform for because you know they don't get out much, '' said Coggeshall, whose stage name is Cog.
``This bus is going to help.'' He also performs for the vets at the Hampton hospital.
Pulling together the whole effort, which eventually involved disabled veterans organizations throughout Hampton Roads, were Cecil Wright, past commander of Chapter 21, and Howard W. Wiseman, its present commander.
``You may as well stomp on the ground as to get a smooth ride'' on a regular bus, Wiseman said, tapping the pavement with his cane as he waited for the new bus to arrive at Waterside.
``Hey, I'm fortunate - and they gave all they had for their country,'' said Wright as he watched the patients disembark from the bus.
Marvin Walker, 70, tried to recall the last time he'd been on an excursion from the hospital.
``Oh, goodness gracious,'' he said, rubbing his chin. He couldn't remember when. He served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam and lost his left leg.
Said 54-year-old Raymond McDaniel, who is blind and in a wheelchair because of leg injuries from the Vietnam War: ``Thanks to everyone for what they're doing for the vets.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON/The Virginian-Pilot
Raymond McDaniel, a Navy veteran and patient at the VA hospital in
Hampton, is being pushed by Brian Gelineau, coordinator of
rehabilitation for the hospital. Disabled Veterans Chapter 21 has
raised $86,000 to buy a specially equipped bus.
KEYWORDS: VETERAN by CNB