* Update: Due to weather, the Team Owen event is moving to St. Giles gym at 1034 N. Linden Ave., Oak Park.
Owen Petrzelka was your typical 6-year-old boy in 2020: eager, full of energy, and loving life.
But in April of that year, Owen developed a rare disease called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). Occurring in children between 4 and 11, it is a cancerous brain tumor, and there is currently no cure for it. After fighting for six months, Owen died in October 2020.
“During this time, my cousin Ethan Briggs was on the Fenwick (boys) soccer team,” said Owen’s mother, Amanda Shaker. “Since it was COVID, Ethan and his friends, many of whom were his soccer teammates, spent a lot of time with Owen, from playing video games, joining us on trips, as part of our memory-making tours. They were amazing and made his final months incredibly special. They made an impact on Owen, and in turn, I think Owen made an impact on them.”
Following a soccer match at the Fenwick Priory in River Forest the next fall, Briggs and his Fenwick teammates made the walk to the Petrzelka home in Oak Park. They were joined by the Friars’ opponents that day — East Avenue neighbor Oak Park and River Forest High School.
Although Briggs has moved on to Creighton University, Fenwick continues to be there for Shaker and her husband and Owen’s father, Adam Petrzelka, an OPRF alum.
“At the end of the 2021-22 season, Fenwick created an Owen’s Courage Award, which is presented to the player who shows the most positivity in that season,” Shaker said. “Ethan was the first recipient, and last year’s recipient was Ryan Agozo. Coach [Craig] Blazer kindly invites us each year to the award dinner, which is really wonderful. We’re honored to attend and love that Owen’s legacy is still so strong within the team and is tied to kindness.”
For Blazer, it was important that the Friars continue to show the family support, given what Owen meant to the program.
“We continue to remember Owen and his life, everything his family and friends have done to bring awareness to kids dealing with cancer,” he said. “We’re going to walk this year, and the guys just want to help. They want to be part of something special, and Owen’s Run is that.”
Shaker appreciates the support from Blazer and the Fenwick soccer program.
“Owen played Edge soccer and wanted to be just like his cousin Ethan,” she said. “He always loved watching Ethan and his friends play, and I know he is proud to still be part of the team’s story. To see them take time away from the pitch to support us, their former teammates, and frankly the community, is a beautiful thing.”
Owen’s Run is a virtual 5K race that takes place Sept. 28. It is part of a larger national event called ChadTough’s Run Tough Event, which benefits the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation.
“It funds game-changing research around the world so that one day, parents, friends, families, and communities won’t experience what we did when hearing a kid has a DIPG diagnosis,” said Shaker, who attended both Fenwick and OPRF. “Team Owen has raised over $1 million for the organization and now there’s more research being done than ever before.”
Since 2021, Owen’s Run has evolved into a daylong event. In addition to the virtual run, there’s a family-friendly party with food, crafts and music. The Fenwick team will be attending again this year
“We’ve had village leaders participate. Principal [Hussein] Ali [Mann Elementary] always attends and lets the kids do something silly with him,” Shaker added. “Many of our family, colleagues, and the parents of Owen’s friends graciously volunteer to put on this wonderful celebration.”
* The Owen’s Run event starts at 10 a.m. and goes until 7:30 p.m., Sept. 28, on the 900 block of North Grove Avenue in Oak Park. Those who would like to participate in the virtual 5K run or make donations can go to TeamOwen.org.
For more information on DIPG, visit ChadTough.org.