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DECEMBER 26, 2024 - JANUARY 1, 2025
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Vol. 35 No. 53
HERALD PERSON oF THE YEAR Kenny Owens
Running with a purpose
Kenny Owens keeps his brother’s memory alive By Daniel Offner
Kenny Owens, of Rockville Centre, devotes countless hours each year to raising money for charitable organizations in his community. Every April, the 49-year-old father of three takes on an extraordinary challenge that’s as much about heart as it is about endurance. Over the course of 24 hours, Owens runs 27 miles around the village, in tribute to his late brother, Kevin Owens, who spent the last 27 days of his life in the intensive care unit at Mercy Hospital. Kevin died of cancer on April 6, 2017, just shy of his 40th birthday. “I wanted to make sure Kevin’s name was never forgotten,” said Kenny, the managing partner of Owens Truckmen, t started with in Lynbrook, a family business that dates back to 1890. “The run started in Kevin, but 2020, and it’s grown into something now it’s grown bigger than I could’ve ever imagined.”
Kenny and Maryellen have been married for 27 years and have three children — Kailey, 21, Braden, 14, and Kieran, 11.
Preserving Kevin’s legacy
Running for a larger purpose
I
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to something much bigger.
Kevin Owens’s battle with cancer began when he was just 11, and doctors KENNY oWENS discovered a malignant tumor on his tailbone. He endured years of grueling radiation and chemotherapy treatments before going into remission at age 14. Despite that early challenge, Kevin had a fulfilling life. He married, became a father, and worked as the first mate on the private fishing vessel “No Time” in Oceanside. In 2010, however, his cancer returned. Over the next seven years, Kevin underwent surgeries and more treatments, and suffered numerous setbacks. After one of his legs had to be amputated, he was no longer able to work at sea. Then, in 2012, his home in Bay Park was heavily damaged by Hurricane Sandy, which forced him to live with Kenny and his family for a time. By March 2017, Kevin’s health had deteriorated significantly, and doctors at Mercy determined that the cancer had spread. He died the following month. The loss left a void in Kenny’s life that prompted him to take action. “He was his best friend — his partner in crime,” Kenny’s wife, Maryellen Owens, said. “They did everything together. Kevin even lived with us for two years when he was sick.” She added, of her husband, “I’m so proud of him. He works so hard. He’s kind and resilient, with a big heart, and he tries to make everything better for everyone else.”
Kenny launched the Kevin Owens Run to Remember in 2020, as a way to honor his brother and help others in need. The idea was inspired by the 4x4x48 endurance challenge created by ultramarathon runner David Goggins. The run begins outside Owens’s home on Lee Avenue at 4 a.m., and makes 4.6-mile loops around the village. After the first one, succeeding loops start at 8 a.m., noon, 4 p.m., 8 p.m. and midnight. During the first Run to Remember, Kenny raised $6,000 for Mercy Hospital. In its second year, the event partnered with the Tommy Brull Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the special needs community, to raise $28,000 for four local families and causes. “Kenny has a huge heart,” said Martin Brull, president of the Tommy Brull Foundation and a close friend of Kenny’s. “He thinks very hard about what he’s doing and how he can help Continued on page 2 Courtesy Maryellen Owens
Kenny Owens, of Rockville Centre, dedicates much of his time to helping the community through his annual Run to Remember and his clothing company, Buoy4.