Running with a purpose

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, in Lynbrook, a family business that dates back to 1890. “The run started in 2020, and it’s grown into something bigger than I could’ve ever imagined.”

Preserving Kevin’s legacy

Kevin Owens’s battle with cancer began when he was just 11, and doctors 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 and Maryellen have been married for 27 years and have three children — Kailey, 21, Braden, 14, and Kieran, 11.

Running for a larger purpose

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 others. He’s always so generous and supportive, and he’s turned tragedy into something positive that brings people together.”

In 2023, more than 200 participants joined Kenny for the run, which in addition to honoring Kevin, helped raise $50,000 in memory of his other late brother, Patrick Owens, who died in 1997 of a congenital heart condition.

This year, Kenny dedicated the run to helping several organizations, including Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Mary Ruchalski Foundation, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Champions in Courage, the Heart and Sole Foundation, the Tommy Brull Foundation, and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

“It’s grown into something that means a lot to the community,” Kenny said. “For some people, it’s about their uncle, their father, or someone they’ve lost. Everyone has their own reasons for running, and it’s become a way to lead by example.”

A family rooted in generosity

Kenny, the oldest of nine siblings, credits his upbringing, in East Rockaway, for his family’s deep sense of generosity.

“We hate to see people struggle,” he said. “If I can help someone every day, I know I’m doing my part.”

The Owens family also channels its generosity through Buoy4, a clothing and apparel company Kenny founded in 2014 with four of Kevin’s closest friends.

Buoy4, which takes its name from Kevin’s favorite fishing spot, pays homage to his brother and his passion for the water. A portion of the company’s proceeds go to local water conservation groups, like Operation SPLASH, in Freeport.

“Buoy4 is about keeping him close, while also giving back to the waters he loved so much,” Kenny said.

In addition to designing sweatshirts for local sports teams and fundraisers, Buoy4 has been selling sweatshirts to help a family friend battling stage four breast cancer and recently helped a boy battling cancer create his own sweatshirt design, to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, one of his favorite charities.

“This is what it’s all about — helping people,” Kenny said. “It started with Kevin, but now it’s grown to something much bigger.”

Leading by example

Kenny’s passion for giving back extends to every aspect of his life. He balances his responsibilities at Owens Truckmen with his community efforts.

“I get up at 3 a.m. and work a few hours on Buoy4,” he said. “At night I focus on organizing the run and other projects.”

He also coaches local youth basketball teams, including his sons’ teams, and emphasizes the importance of teaching the next generation to lead with kindness and responsibility.

“You want to lead by example,” Kenny said. “Now these kids are leading the way for the younger ones behind them. That’s what we try to do.”

As he looks to 2025, he hopes to expand the Run to Remember while staying true to its grassroots origins.

“Each year it gets bigger, and we need more space,” Kenny said. “I want to keep it going, and make sure it continues to make a difference.”

For Owens, every mile run, every dollar raised, and every act of kindness helps preserve Kevin’s legacy — one of resilience, generosity and enduring love for the community.