When Onick and Heather Lewis unexpectedly lost their son Owen in 2022, they vowed to turn what was an absolute tragedy into a legacy to benefit children in Alabama. O’s Cool Bike Foundation was inspired by Owen’s love of his balance bike. Owen received his first balance bike at just a few months old and was riding by the age of 17 months old.
The foundation has many goals, but one focus is providing balance bikes and helmets to lower income children in the Organized Community Action Program (OCAP) Head Start Program. For the foundation’s inaugural year, 100 bikes will be donated to the OCAP program. Upon learning of the need for 54 additional helmets to meet the foundation’s goal of donating a helmet with every bike, Guardian stepped in to supply the remaining helmets. Guardian is also proud to support the inaugural Owen Wayne Lewis Memorial Bike Ride next month as a sponsor.
“When Owen passed away unexpectedly last April from lymphocytic myocarditis, we knew immediately that we needed to find a way to keep Owen's spirit alive for years to come,” Heather and Onick shared. “We knew we wanted to give back to our community in Owen's name in a creative way that spoke to who he was. That is how O's Cool Bike Foundation came to be, with the goal in mind to donate balance bikes to low-income children of southeast Alabama. To accomplish this goal, we are donating balance bikes and helmets to OCAP head-start facilities.”
A memorial bike ride will be held each April to celebrate Owen’s life. You can take part in the inaugural Owen Wayne Lewis Memorial Bike Ride being held on Saturday, April 29, on the Troy University Campus. You can learn more about O’s Cool Bike Foundation here. You can also register as a participant in the Owen Wayne Lewis Memorial Ride/Walk here.