Local Family to Hold Fundraiser In Memory of Son

Editor’s Note: The following was written by Middlebury resident and former Pomperaug High School student Nick Cook.

Gowen, a Pomperaug High School senior and swim team member, and Southbury resident, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in March of 2012, and after a hard-fought battle, passed away in October of the same year, at the age of 18.

To celebrate his birthday, and to commemorate his life, his family is organizing a fundraising event to be held September 1, at the Lake Quassapaug Outing Club in Middlebury.

The event, named the Luck2Tuck Paddle & Swim 4 A Cure, will be held from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., and will include swim races of various distances, and two separate paddleboard races. The day will also include a silent auction for participants to bid on donated items.

All funds raised, along with any donations received, will go to the Luck2Tuck Foundation, to help fund pediatric cancer research and to help families that have been affected by cancer.

Jennifer Gowen, mother of Tucker, says she hopes to see this become an annual event. “We all need to Hammer Down in this battle against pediatric cancers,” Gowen writes, “it’s a tough fight, but with perseverance and focus, maybe, just maybe, we can help fund the research that will help find a cure one day.”

To register for the event, and to sign-up for individual races, you can visit www.luck2tuck.myevent.com, or visit the Luck2Tuck Facebook page. Registration is free, and closes August 1.