From left: Gale Weatherell, Laura and Scott Fahrney, Chuck Livers and Bill Floerchinger assemble seats for PETs. The building project was part of the annual “Church Is A Verb” activities. During the day, church members also baked cookies for first responders, cleaned area roads and walkways, and made blankets for a child-serving agency. Photo by Walt Hays.

For the last eight years, Bill Floerchinger has led the assembly of seats for Personal Energy Transportation (PET) hand-crank carts for people in developing nations who have lost the use of their legs.

He has worked with the men of St. John, other church men’s groups, service clubs, Boy Scouts, and youth at summer camp. One Boy Scout built 50 seats for his Eagle project.
Through his efforts, 500 seats have been funded, built and shipped to the PET Inland-Northwest Shop in Spokane, Wash.

Since 2004, Alaska churches, clubs and individuals have raised $75,000 for 250 total PET vehicles.