COMMUNITY WATCH : Team Work

It’s amazing what resources a community can muster even in a recession, when every billable hour of labor is precious. A 15-year-old Los Alamitos High School student, paralyzed almost three years ago in a swimming accident, has become a rallying point for volunteers from around Southern California who are drawn to donate their construction skills for a worthy cause.

A team of construction workers, all bringing different talents to the job, has just given David Lupash an $80,000 birthday present. It’s a two-story, 1,080 square-foot wing on his family house in Westminster, designed to accommodate David and his wheelchair.

A contractor from Long Beach has been coordinating work from all over. A firm in Whittier has contributed an elevator lift, a landscaper from Huntington Beach has installed sprinklers and plants, a Long Beach tile setter has put in showers to accommodate a wheelchair, and a Riverside County firm has donated a new sidewalk.

These are but the latest in a remarkable series of contributions for medical and other expenses made by various concerned citizens since the accident.

If David is lucky to have such friends, he has proved to be an inspiration for them as well. Says Ron Sehnert, the contractor, “You just don’t meet people with his incredible attitude.” David’s determination to continue with his studies, and his positive outlook and faith, have shown a larger community that it gets something back when it finds ways to give of itself.