Owen's Dream

Meet Owen

Owen is a 16-year-old with a heart as big as his smile. Known for his infectious laughter and kind spirit, he brings joy to everyone around him. Whether he’s lending a hand or cracking a joke, Owen is always ready to brighten someone’s day. He loves his family, football and finds joy in the little things that make life special.

At school, Owen is a familiar face with a constant smile. He takes great pride in his role as the cafeteria’s best table washer, his designated job, and he does it with dedication and enthusiasm. Despite facing significant physical and intellectual challenges growing up, Owen continues to work hard every day, making strides with the support of his family, teachers, and therapist.

One of Owen’s greatest loves is football. While he isn’t able to play on the field, that doesn’t stop him from being a part of the game in every way he can. For Owen, being a VIP at the ACC Football Championship would be an absolute dream come true. We are so excited to partner with Jay M Robinson’s Junior Dream Team to help make that dream a reality!

Owen's Dream

What an unforgettable day yesterday OWEN! The Jay M. Robinson HS Junior Dream Team absolutely crushed it — they planned the entire morning’s event, and the whole school showed up for an epic send-off!

Owen came bursting out of the tunnel at the school wide pep rally and immediately had the crowd fired up. He won everyone over in seconds!

Here we were surprised by members of the Charlotte 49ers Football team (Owen’s favorite), plus support from our amazing community partners and sponsor, Poettker Construction Company.

With a full police escort from the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, we rolled out in style to breakfast with the Junior Dream Team in the limo. Afterward, the ACC crew treated us to a stadium tour before press conferences — where Owen got to ask the final question at each one…asking each coach how tall they were. The PERFECT ending!

Then it was off to the Omni Charlotte Hotel where Owen walked into a full football-themed room complete with snacks, a chocolate fountain, and even his own locker! After settling in, we headed to Ruth’s Chris Charlotte Uptown, where the GM welcomed Owen like family. Dinner wrapped with a tray of desserts that was chef’s kiss to an incredible day.

ACC Championship day kicked off with a morning of laughter at Topgolf University. It was Owen’s first-ever Topgolf experience and he absolutely crushed it!

Back at the Omni Charlotte Hotel we took some time to relax and decorated Christmas cookies donated by Sweet Spot Studio CLT — such a sweet surprise!

Then it was off to the ACC Championship Game! We explored FanFest first, soaking in the music and festivities before heading straight to the sidelines. Then came the ACC mascots — all 18 of them! Owen was right in the middle of the action, pumping up the crowd and players right alongside the mascots, who couldn’t have been more engaged with him and our whole crew.

Next up: Owen’s big moment as Honorary Captain. Thank you Atlantic Coast Conference!

We headed to our seats afterward and watched the game, grabbed food, and stayed nearly to the end. Owen cheered for both teams, but loved that Duke Football came out with the win.

Owen’s mom shared with us how grateful she was for this experience because she saw sides of Owen, along with the whole family, that she had never seen before. Comments like that are a dream come true for us.

Huge thank you to our friends at the Atlantic Coast Conference for continually going above and beyond for our Dreamers!

Dream Snapshots
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Thank you to the J.M. Robinson High School Jr. Dream Team & Dream Sponsor, Poettker Construction!