The idea for Our Journey started in October when the Reindeer Fun Run posted on Facebook that they would have teams for this year’s race. We wanted to set up a team and enjoy the run together, but also to run for a reason. And so begins the story of Our Journey, a fundraising group started in honor of Owen Joseph Eilert.
Owen was born to our dear friends in the spring of 2015. An otherwise healthy baby boy, Owen was born with Bilateral Microtia and Atresia of the ears – which basically means his little ears did not develop properly during pregnancy. Owen is able to hear with the help of a Baha Sound Processor that he wears on a headband. He faces a series of doctors visits and ultimately reconstructive surgery on his ears around age 5. We decided to set a goal and raise money to help the family cover some of the costs of Owen’s hearing device and medical expenses at UNC Children’s Hospital that are not covered by his health insurance. Little did we know how much support we would receive…
On Saturday, December 5th over 100 friends and family members attended the Reindeer Fun Run in honor and in support of this beautiful, funny, jolly baby boy! We were beyond thrilled to have far exceeded our original donation goal. Owen has such a huge personality and has already touched so many people, we are certain he will continue to be a blessing in this world! All who participated were beaming with a sense of pride at what was accomplished and were overjoyed to have been a part of this humbling experience.
We are so very thankful to everyone who supported our team and gave so generously to Owen and his family. It was an emotional day for Owen’s parents, as they were overwhelmed with gratitude at the outpouring of love and support for their special boy. A huge Thank You to the Reindeer Fun Run for providing such a fun community event that brought us all together in this wonderful spirit of giving! It’s hard to put into words the joy that we feel from what we have accomplished. We look forward to this becoming an annual event for our team and we hope this is only the beginning of what Our Journey will continue to do together. Our long-term goal is to give back to other causes and families in Moore County, so that we can continue to make a difference in the lives of others.
“It’s about the journey–mine and yours–and the lives we can touch, the legacy we can leave, and the world we can change for the better.” -Tony Dungy- #ourjourneyforowen facebook.com/ourjourneyformoore
