Natural Stone Institute Completes More R.I.S.E Homes

OBERLIN, Ohio — Natural Stone Institute members provided natural stone and fabrication services for two more homes with the Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment).

To date, institute members have worked on 25 residences for the R.I.S.E. program, which builds specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans and first responders.

Cottle familyIn November, the program provided a home in Eagle, Idaho, for U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jesse Cottle and his family.

Staff Sgt. Cottle joined the Marines in 2003; on July 19, 2009, during his fourth deployment, Jesse and his Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were on foot patrol clearing improvised explosive devises in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. An IED detonated under Cottle, blasting him into the air.

After being sent to the National Naval Medical Center (now the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) in Bethesda, Md., Jesse underwent seven surgeries on both legs. He was then sent to Naval Medical Center San Diego for outpatient care, where he met Kelly, the woman who would soon be his wife. The couple has two young daughters: Grace and Isla.

The Cottles received their home on Nov. 11 — Veteran’s Day.

Natural stone and fabrication for the Cottle home came from Arizona Tile, Daltile, Salado, and Valley View Granite of Tremonton, Utah.

LeRoy familyOn Dec. 12, the R.I.S.E. program delivered a home to U.S. Army Sgt. Stefan LeRoy and his family in Jupiter, Fla.

Stefan LeRoy enlisted in the Army in 2010. On June 7, 2012, while deployed in Afghanistan, two IEDs detonated and LeRoy rushed to aid those injured by the blasts. While carrying an injured soldier to a Medevac helicopter, Stefan was struck by a third explosion, and lost both of his legs immediately.

LeRoy was transported to Walter Reed in Maryland, where he spent over a month in the hospital. He spent two years learning to adapt to his prosthetics, drawing strength from his friends and other amputees at the hospital. Sixteen months after his last surgery in September 2014, he ran the Boston Marathon.

Natural stone and fabrication for the LeRoy family home was provided by Real Stone & Granite Corp. in Fort Pierce, Fla.

Since 2016, 59 Natural Stone Institute members have donated their time, products, and services to the R.I.S.E. program; a list of all donors can be found at www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/RISE. Stone companies interested in getting involved with future projects are encouraged to contact Pam Hammond at pam@naturalstoneinstitute.org.

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