Faith. Family. Friends.
F
The Conor O’Kane Foundation honors memory of a loved one
amily and friends of Conor O’Kane established a foundation to preserve the memory of the 19-year-old, who died unexpectedly from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating due to problems with the heart’s electrical system, which causes irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias). The Conor O’Kane Foundation was formed shortly after Conor died in January 2011 by his parents Bill and Tricia O’Kane and his girlfriend Marissa Moylan. O’Kane, who experienced no symptoms of his condition prior to his death, attended Catholic Schools and played ice hockey for more than 14 years. The goals of this foundation are to promote the values most important to Conor - Faith, Family and Friends - and to encourage Catholic education, peer respect, community service and commitment to family. Donations to the Conor O’Kane Foundation have been used to help fund Catholic Elementary School tuition assistance programs, as well as Catholic High School scholarship programs for participants in the annual Conor O’Kane High School Memorial Cup Tournament and Alumni Game, held in November during Thanksgiving weekend. The ice hockey tournament, sponsored by the local Referees Association, includes 25 games played over three days. Funds also have been used to purchase Automated External Defibrillator (AED) devices for local schools. About 93% of the 360,000+ people afflicted with SCA die every year. The only cure for someone suffering with SCA is an electrical shock from an AED device, which must be administered within the first 3-5 minutes of the attack. Even then, it is less than 40% effective in preventing death. Since its inception in 2011, the Conor O’Kane Foundation has distributed more than $40,000 to families making the financial sacrifice to send their children to Catholic schools. The Foundation also has allocated money necessary to place AEDs in two area schools and provide training to staff on how to operate the device in an emergency. In addition to the annual Ice Hockey Tournament, the Foundation raises funds through the generosity of family and friends of Conor who attend the annual Conor O’Kane Foundation Beef ‘n Beer held the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. The 2nd Annual Conor O’Kane Beef ‘n Beer held May 17, 2013, at EOM in South Philadelphia was an outstanding success, according to coordinators, raising more money than any of the previous Foundation fundraisers. More than 250 of Conor’s friends and family enjoyed the evening, where 60+ Prize Baskets were raffled along with an enormous Wagon-O-Cheer containing more than 75 bottles of assorted spirits! prh The Conor O’Kane Foundation is a 501(c)(3) registered charitable organization. Taxpayer ID # 45-4823545. Donations can be sent to The Conor O’Kane Foundation, 108 Federal St., Philadelphia, PA 19147.
rowhome magazine
| 85