“Owie’s Angels” Will Remember Eoghan at Good Grief’s 5K Run and Walk for Hope

Meg Demsak and her family look forward to Good Grief’s 5K Run and Walk for Hope every year. The 5th annual 5K Run and Walk for Hope will be held at Giralda Farms in Madison, NJ on Sunday, June 3, 2018. The annual event raises funds and awareness to help children, teens, and young adults after the death of a mom, dad, brother, or sister. The Demsaks are one of the 550 families that receive free and unlimited support from Good Grief.

Meg’s son, Eoghan, died 2 years ago and Good Grief was pivotal in the family’s grief process. “My daughter was four at the time. Eoghan had a lot of medical issues, so there were times when he was hospitalized for months at a time, and my daughter wouldn’t see him. When he passed away, we explained it to her, but she was so little that she didn’t understand. About a month after he had passed away, she asked, ‘When is Eoghan coming home?’ We faced a lot of questions and anxiety,” explained Meg Demsak.

Meg, her husband, and her daughter started attending Good Grief’s Nights of Support shortly after Eoghan’s death “Good Grief has been really important to our family. The Nights of Support give us that moment every couple of weeks to think about Eoghan, it kind of keeps him with us more. I think it also gives us balance. Your son passing away definitely puts life in a different perspective than it was before,” Meg stated.

The 5K Run and Walk for Hope has become a way for the Demsaks to celebrate and remember Eoghan with their extended family, friends, and community. “We have done the 5K Run and Walk for Hope the past couple of years, and we love dressing up and coming together with family and friends to remember Eoghan! He was really sweet boy who faced a lot of obstacles in life but never lost his spirit. He was really special,” Meg reflected.

The 5K Run and Walk for Hope is a fun, family event for all ages and abilities. It features a 5K (3.1 mile) USATF certified race course, a 2-mile walk with activities, and adorable kid’s dashes for children ages 3 to 12! Over 1,000 community members are expected to attend the 5K Run and Walk for Hope. At this fun, and meaningful event, Good Grief encourages registrants to work together to create teams in honor of family members and friends who have died, or in support of Good Grief program participants. Meg’s team, Owie’s Angels, will be wearing matching t-shirts and will carry a banner while running/walking in memory of Eoghan.

The Good Grief 5K Run and Walk for Hope is a family-friendly event. Winners in each age group will be recognized as part of an awards ceremony at the end of the race, along with various awards for the teams ranging from “Leader of the Pack” to “Best Team T-shirt.” The day’s festivities will also include various forms of entertainment, music and guest speakers.

For more information on the event, to volunteer, register or become a sponsor, visit www.good-grief.org/4hope.

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Good Grief is respected as a national leader in delivering grief services to children and their families. It is the leading provider of these services in New Jersey serving over 1,000 children since its founding in 2004. Good Grief is a registered 501(c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit organization whose mission is to provide unlimited free support to children, teens and families after the death of a parent or sibling. Servicing more than 150 communities, we operate programs in Morristown and Princeton. For more information about Good Grief, please visit our web site www.good-grief.org.

For more information, contact:

Joseph Primo, CEO

908-522-1999 x 8011

Courtney Hodock, Director of Development

609-498-6674 x 8010