Veteran able to enjoy Christmas in his home, thanks to business’ generosity

by Mandy Loehr, Bellefontaine Examiner

A Bellefontaine area veteran who dedicates much of his time to volunteering with the Logan County Vets to D.C. program received a special gift just a few weeks before Christmas this year, which enabled him to stay in his 100-year-old home, instead of needing to look for a new residence.
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Ross Sellars is the recipient of the Lee’s Roofing & Spouting’s second annual free roof giveaway specifically for veterans, offered in recognition of Veterans Day 2022.

Sellars said this fall, he met with his insurance agent and learned that the company would no longer be able to insure his home without a new roof.

Around the same time, the rural Bellefontaine resident, who lives just south of the city along U.S. Route 68, received a phone call from Josh Wilcoxon, Lee’s Roofing & Spouting operations manager, informing him that he had been nominated for the giveaway.

“This is called the grace of God; I don’t know how else to explain it,” Sellars said Dec. 13, while standing in his front yard and admiring his brand new dimensional shingle roof completed by the company just the week before. Now his three sons and their families, who live locally, will also be able to enjoy the cozy surroundings at Christmastime, including his 12 grandchildren.

“I’m able to stay in my home and I’m so grateful for the quality work done by Lee’s Roofing. They went the extra mile on my new roof, replacing old wood that had rotted or decayed.”

Wilcoxon said multiple individuals nominated Sellars for the program this year, noting the time that he freely gives to the non-profit organization. The Vietnam War era veteran has attended six trips to the nation’s capital with the Logan County Vets to D.C. organization, with the first as a veteran guest and the last five trips as a volunteer.

A 5-ton U.S. Army truck, owned by Sellars’ son and several of his friends, also makes a regular appearance in local parades through Sellars’ efforts.

“We enjoyed hearing about how he gives back to the community,” Wilcoxon said. “His nominators noted how he is so helpful on the trips, helping to push around veterans in wheelchairs so they can enjoy their time in Washington, D.C.

“When I first went out to meet Ross, not knowing yet if we were going to choose him, he said he didn’t care if he won, as he was just happy knowing someone thought of him and nominated him.”

Sellars, a native of Chicago, said he joined the U.S. Navy in 1967, noting he was told, “Join the Navy, you’ll see the world.

“And then I ended up at the Naval Air Station Glenview, located 30 minutes from where I grew up,” he quipped, also relating that his brother served in the Navy and had encouraged him to join.

There at the Naval Air Station, Sellars used his expertise for four years to train service members on a flight simulator to prep them for flying C-118 cargo planes in the Vietnam War.

“We wouldn’t have had the ability to continue the war effort without the cargo planes, which were able to transport the vast amounts of supplies and munitions.”

After his honorable discharge in 1971, Sellars lived in Chicago, and then moved to Wyoming to raise his family in a more rural setting.

The veteran volunteer moved to Bellefontaine in 2006, after one of his sons had located to the area for a job with Honda of America. Then his other two sons followed and they reside around Logan County as well.

Sellars remarked on the strong local support for veterans in the county and the deep appreciation he feels.
“Vets to D.C. is so blessed for all of the support in our community. It costs the veteran guests nothing to go to D.C. to see their monuments for the first time. It’s been a wonderful experience being a part of the program.”

Looking ahead to Veterans Day 2023, Lee’s Roofing & Spouting again is looking forward to announcing a third veteran recipient of its free roof giveaway.

Individuals can submit nominations through several methods — via e-mail to [email protected]; mailing to the office at: 805 E. Columbus Ave., Bellefontaine, OH, 43311; or dropping off at business during regular office hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The nominations should include the nominee’s name, address and a contact phone number, and participants are invited to provide information regarding why a new roof would be beneficial for this nominated Logan County veteran.
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Throughout the year, the company also offers a 5 percent discount to active military, veterans and first responders.