AVERILL PARK, N.Y. - With some help from actor Gary Sinise and a lot of community support, crews broke ground on a new "smart home" for a local veteran Tuesday.
NEWS10 first brought you the story about Air Force Tech Sergeant Joe Wilkinson, of Nassau, back in March. Wilkinson was paralyzed as a result of a nerve disease contracted during his service in Iraq.
The Gary Sinise Foundation and The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation lead a fundraising effort to build Wilkinson, his wife and three children, a new smart house.
Crews began construction on a new home for Wilkinson that will feature the latest in hi-tech equipment, specifically designed to allow Wilkinson to lead a life as independently as possible.
The groundbreaking ceremony began Tuesday when Wilkinson maneuvered an excavator to ceremoniously knock down a tree to clear the site for his home in Averill Park.
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