Tyler Lemert is unlike many other college students. Not because the junior health administration major at Indiana University is a student athlete (he's on the swim team), but because five years ago Tyler began his own charity. Let Roy Walk is a charity that raises funds for 29-year-old Fort Wayne resident Roy Lemert, Tyler's older brother. A shooting in 1999 left Roy paralyzed from the neck down and on a ventilator. Tyler started the charity to raise money for a costly surgery for Roy, and today, Scotty's Brewhouse is helping Tyler raise additional funds for his family.
For Fundraiser Tuesday, customers can come into Scotty's, mention that they are there for the Let Roy Walk fundraiser and 10 percent of their total bill for dine in or carry-out from 5 to 10 p.m. will be donated to the Let Roy Walk charity. Three of the five Scotty's Brewhouse locations are participating: the Muncie, Bloomington and West Lafayette locations, Muncie Scotty's Brewhouse general manager Tim Jenyk Jr. said. He said that Fundraiser Tuesday is a concept that owner Scotty Wise came up with to help local charities.
Tyler began the charity after Roy did some research on surgeries that could help him walk again. The surgery, which will cost around $100,000, will take Roy to Portugal and requires expensive exercise machines to prepare Roy's body for surgery. Tyler said he had been holding events such as golf outings in Fort Wayne and has so far raised around $60,000.
Tyler said he has a renewed goal for the charity because his mom, and Roy's primary caregiver, was diagnosed with leukemia in August.
"My goal from here on out is to raise about $50,000," Tyler said.
Tyler said his family has had a hard time dealing with his mom now enduring chemotherapy treatments and his dad working to pay for the medical bills of both his son and his wife.
He and his other older brother Cole are both away at school, which Tyler said is rough on his mom because she can't just run out on errands without a nurse there to care for Roy.
But, when his family comes into town, they can usually be found at Scotty's, Tyler said
The family are common customers and are known by many of the employees, he said. After talking to some of them, he contacted someone in public relations to employ their help with the charity.
"It's my favorite restaurant, and whenever my family comes to visit, we go there," Tyler said.
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