Pittsburgh Penguins, 84 Lumber donate $50,000 in home repairs to local veteran
The Pittsburgh Penguins and 84 Lumber teamed up to provide a local veteran with $50,000 in home renovations as part of their Home for a Hero platform.
Frank ‘Mike’ Hepler, of Gibsonia is a Vietnam veteran who dedicated his life to the Boys and Girls Club after returning home from the war. He has a form of Parkinson’s disease that has caused his health to rapidly deteriorate over the last few years, and believes his exposure to Agent Orange while in Vietnam has been a major factor in the severity of his illness.
The donation will allow Hepler to place a railing or ramp that will make it easier for him to get in and out of the house; add a first-floor bedroom that will also help with mobility issues; and take care of small projects that will make a big difference from an accessibility standpoint.
“It’s just a small way to say thank you for this incredible life that you’ve had,” Phil Bourque told Hepler in his 130-year-old farmhouse.
Hepler, who was overwhelmed by the surprise donation and visit, said the money will be used to make his life so much easier.
“When I saw that check for $50,000, I did think it wasn’t real,” Hepler said. “The gratitude I have for 84 Lumber and the Pittsburgh Penguins is over the top. Because I know (from my experience) whenever you invest in people or agencies, you do your homework, you do your job. You make sure that whatever gift you’re giving or whatever grant you’re giving, it’s going to the right person for the right reason. What happened here today, I hope I’m the right reason!”
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