Remembering Owen: Benefit Fundraiser For The Koehler Family Planned For Next Monday

Owen Koehler's parents are still grieving the loss of their son Owen, who died last month after a battle with brain cancer.

And Lacey wants to give something back to them. The Lacey Elks and Cub Scout Pack 156 are planning a benefit spaghetti dinner, 50/50 and a gift auction to help the Koehlers out with expenses incurred from their young son's year and a half fight to stay alive.

The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, July 17 at the Lacey Elks Lodge at 900 Beach Boulevard in Forked River. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 10. Tickets can be purchased at the door or by e-mail at TeamOwenDinner@gmail.com.

Owen was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma, a malignant brain tumor, on September 4, 2015. Owen soldiered through two surgeries, several different chemotherapies, and radiation treatments. But his tumor was very aggressive and spread rapidly over the last month.
So his parents made the decision to end the treatments, which were not working, and to let Owen enjoy whatever time he had left.

"Mike and I would like to spend Owen's remaining days focused on his needs and making sure he is comfortable," his mother wrote on Owen's Fight. "Time may not allow us to check off everything on his list. We are determined to make every second count as he prepares to get his wings."

Earlier in June, a parade of fire trucks, fire engines, and EMS vehicles slowly passed by his home for one last time in a final salute to the young boy. The parade lasted almost seven minutes.

Image: Owen's Fight Facebook page.