TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — From the sound of spinning wheels to kids laughing on the quad, Troy University was full of energy for the 4th annual O’s Cool Bike Ride and Walk.

The ride honors Owen Lewis, the 2.5-year-old son of professors Dr. Heather Lewis and Onick Lewis, who died unexpectedly from lymphocytic myocarditis. What began as a way to celebrate Owen’s life has grown into a community-wide event that continues to expand each year.

“This is all for memory for my 2.5 year old son Owen, and he loved dinosaurs, balloons, the color blue, he loved riding his bike,” Heather Lewis said. “Everything today has a touch of Owen somewhere in it, so it’s all for him deep down.”

That “touch of Owen” could be seen throughout the event, from bright colors to family-friendly activities designed with children in mind. The ride welcomed participants of all skill levels by offering 64-, 45- and 34-mile rides, along with a 1.2-mile walk and ride, and a half-mile loop around the quad for younger participants.

Yet, organizers say the event is about more than just cycling.

Each year, the event continues to grow, drawing support from the university and the broader community.

“Every year this event continues to grow and we are so thankful for Troy University, for the community, for everyone that participates because this isn’t a have-to event, this is an elective event that they come and support and we are so thankful for that,” Lewis said.

For Lewis, the memories of her son remain at the heart of the day.

“My favorite memory of Owen was probably when he first started riding his bike, and we would go out and he would just go,” she said. “He was a beast on his little bike. There was one day that him and I were out walking, well I was walking, and he was riding his bike.

“He heard a fire truck and he just took off, and I had to run to sprint to catch him. That was the common denominator with him. We were always having to chase him because he wanted to fly down the hills and he would just lift up his feet and he would go.

“He was nonstop all the time. He was just a true boy, super athletic, super vibrant child. Everyone loved him, he lit up a room.”

Families who attend say the event creates a space that is both meaningful and uplifting.

“As a parent I believe that this event is wonderful to memorialize and continue the legacy of Owen,” said Lakeveya Jones, a participant and mother. “It’s absolutely beautiful.

“I know that grief can be a complicated, complicated journey but doing something of this magnitude makes me as a parent very proud and very supportive of baby Owen. With the numbers on today, I feel like they were very supportive, very high energy, the right people in the right place to honor baby Owen.”

“It was good because I had a lot of fun riding my scooter,” said Cadence Jones, Lakeveya’s son.

Students involved in organizing the event said the hands-on experience also provided valuable learning opportunities. Martha Flay Rhodes, a student in Heather Lewis’ class who helped plan the event, said the experience gave her practical insight beyond the classroom.

“The hands-on aspect of it is so helpful, because, yes, I can learn from my marketing class, my communications class, what I need to know about the major and logistics behind it all, but being hands-on, and getting to work at the actual event is so much more beneficial in the long run because I’m able to see how to work with vendors and all the different aspects of that,” Rhodes said.

Organizers said the event continues to serve as a reminder of the power of community by bringing people together to celebrate Owen’s life while creating new memories each year.

Donations for the ride and walk are also used to provide balance bikes to nearby Head Start programs. Additionally, the ride assists in funding the Owen Wayne Lewis Memorial Scholarship at Troy University.

Each year, Owen’s scholarship is awarded to a student that is majoring in social work, human services, hospitality, tourism or event management and is also a first-generation college student.

For more information about the ride, donations, scholarship, and O’s Cool Bike Foundation, click here.