Tony Lewendon has spent his life serving others.

The 68 year old served 20 years in the British military. Lewendon now helps other seniors to stay active by teaching them to bowl and play golf on the Nintendo Wii at the Northshore Senior Center (NSC) in Bothell. But the former master sergeant, whose degenerative condition called Ataxia has confined him to a wheelchair, has had a tough time leaving his own home.

Friday afternoon about 30 people crowded his driveway and front door in the North Juanita neighborhood during a ceremony to say thank you. The group presented a new wheelchair ramp through the Master Builders Care Foundation Rampathon event for the wheelchair-bound veteran’s house.

Rampathon builds free wheelchair ramps for disabled low-income homeowners in King and Snohomish counties.

“Tony is one of those people that make Bothell a great place,” Bothell Mayor Mark Lamb told the group. “He gives so much to our community it is nice to give a little back today. This is a way to make your life better as you have done for so many others.”

Jim Kirschner, who owns Redmond-based Bear Creek Residential construction company, donated his time to build the custom ramp for the house and said that Lewendon and his wife, Milly made the project unforgettable for his entire family.

“His challenges have not stopped or slowed him down,” said Kirschner, who went to the NSC to see Lewendon in action. “He is a little bit of a pied piper. Everyone knows Tony.”

Kirschner’s family, including his three sons Joshua, 21, Jordan, 19 and Jonathan, 13 and his wife, Amy all participated in the building of the ramp in one way or another.

Some of the other businesses that helped Kirschner to finish the project include Dunn Lumber, Emil’s Concrete and Cedar Brook Cedar.

Along with the ramp, Kirschner arranged for Berg’s Landscaping and Chris Darveau Landscape Design to do some landscaping where the old sidewalk was.

“You get to know him and you just want to do more,” said Kirschner, who has helped to build nine ramps through Ramp-a-thon over the years.

As for playing the Wii, Kirschner took on the pro and lost miserably the first time. He then practiced and bragged to Lewendon that he scored a 203 in bowling and got a rematch.

“I was ahead for a while,” said Kirschner, “and then he smoked me.”

Playing the Wii has become a way for seniors like Lewendon to interact, have fun and even maintain some motor functions and hand-eye coordination that they might otherwise lose.

“Tony shows people that they can still do things and exercise,” said Judy Pirone of NSC. “When you see someone in a wheelchair doing it you feel like you can do it.”

It also allows seniors to continue to enjoy some sports that their body might not be able to keep up with.

“One gentleman said that it was the reason he was still walking,” said Lewendon, who loves to play Wii golf but has scored 14 perfect games in bowling.

Lewendon has also started a four team Wii bowling league at the NSC.

But along with his prowess on the Wii, Lewendon is also known to be a good friend.

“I experienced an illness in my family and he was one of my biggest supporters,” said Lynn Edmonds of Kenmore, who knows Lewendon through the NSC. “He is one of the sweetest guys to ever live.”

The Lewendons moved to the North Juanita neighborhood in 1998, a year after his diagnosis, and he became an official United State’s citizen in 2003.

During the ramp ceremony, Milly presented Kirschner with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Ataxia Foundation, of which Milly is a group leader for the area. Ataxia is a degenerative condition that affects 150,000 US citizens each year, shrinking the cerebellum and affecting the ability of patients to walk and talk.

Milly also presented Kirschner with a letter that nearly brought him to tears thanking him for taking his time in the building of the ramp and making sure it fit the style of the house. Prior to the ramp’s installation, Lewendon would have to exit the house on a dangerous wooden ramp in his garage.

“This provides safety for us,” said Milly of the new concrete ramp with wooden railings.

Lewendon says that Kirschner has had tremendous dedication to the job.

“He was here until 10 last night to give me more freedom and safety.”

But while the ramp will give Lewendon and Milly comfort and enjoyment for years to come, the experience may have had as big of an impact on the Kirschner family.

“I don’t think I will ever forget him,” said Kirschner. “I think my kids will remember this for a long time. He is a great man and a real hero.”