Tentative Schedule for Saturday's Launch
11:15 am --- Opening:
Welcome: Mark Brezitski
Prayer: Holy Name of Jesus:
Father Quinlan/Father Speitel
11:20 am --- Mayor Linda Thompson
11:30 am --- Rep. Sue Helm
11:40 am - 1:00 pm OPEN
- Open Mic to mention loved one's name
- Children/families can stop and talk with South
Central EMS Unit, Paxtonia Fire Company
and Lower Paxton Police
- O' Tattoo booth open
- Bake Sale
- Raffle
- Orange 4 Owen merchandise table
- Guest Singer
- Sign Launch cards
1:15 pm---- Raffle Basket drawings (4 baskets) and gathering
of crowd
1:25 pm --- Ed Marsico, DA
1:35 pm --- Rep. Katharine Watson
1:45 pm --- Mark and Karen Brezitski
1:58 pm --- Blessing over balloons----Father Quinlan/
Father Speitel
2:00 pm --- Orange Balloon Release
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
McDonald's Restaurant located at 5590 Allentown Boulevard will be donating a portion of their sales to Owen's Foundation. No voucher needed. Patience please as we hope to have long, long lines in honor of our Dear Owen!
Weather looks good but fields could be a bit wet or muddy due to possible storm on Friday.
We look forward to a Great Day!
Launch O' Love Event
Our family would like to invite you to join us in bringing further awareness to the dangers of distracted driving at our “Launch O’ Love” Orange 4 Owen event this St. Patrick’s Day at Holy Name of Jesus in Harrisburg, PA. “Launch O’ Love” is hosted by our nonprofit organization, Owen’s Foundation, in conjunction with the HEARTS Network and the National Safety Council (NSC).
Friends, family, lawmakers and community members will gather to remember our son, Owen Cole Brezitski. Eight-year-old Owen died last St. Patrick’s Day when he was struck by a distracted teen driver while walking with us inside a crosswalk in front of Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg. Owen was full of promise, and to know his death could have been prevented is heartbreaking. Owen’s Foundation, both a charitable fund and project of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, was established to honor Owen and promote pedestrian, driver, traffic and childhood safety and to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving practices. Pennsylvania lawmakers have addressed safe teen driving and distracted driving with the passage of legislation including H.B. 9 and S.B. 314.
“Launch O’ Love” will begin at 11 a.m. on March 17, 2012 (rain date of March 18, 2012) on the HNJ football field at 6150 Allentown Boulevard, Harrisburg and culminate in an environmentally-friendly balloon launch at 2 p.m., with key dignitaries speaking to the crowd during the event. Orange balloons will be affixed with messages for Owen and attendees’ departed loved ones and released together at 2 p.m.
Other families involved in the HEARTS Network – an acronym for Honoring Everyone Affected, Rallying The Survivors – plan to attend this moving event as part of their healing. One of the traffic safety initiatives managed by NSC, the HEARTS Network links families across the country whose lives have been impacted by teen driving-related motor vehicle crashes.
In addition to the balloon launch, the McDonald’s restaurant located at 5590 Allentown Boulevard, Harrisburg will be donating a portion of their sales from 5–7 p.m. on March 17, 2012 to Owen’s Foundation. No voucher is required to participate! Please spread the word.
We know we cannot change yesterday, but we can help make a difference today and tomorrow. We would be honored and thankful to have your support at this event.
Please visit us on Facebook at Orange 4 Owen, "like" us and sign up for the event.
Sincerely,
Mark, Karen, Makenna and Kyla Brezitski
