04/13/2024
Discover Pennsville did a feature on the Nick Mowers Dog Park and the Nick Mowers Memorial 5K Run/Walk! Be sure to check it out and mark you calendars for The 9th Annual Nick Mowers 5K next Saturday! Click the link https://runsignup.com/Race/NJ/Pennsville/NickMowersMemorial5KRunWalk and sign up today. All proceeds go to help the dog park and a local PMHS scholarship!
Nick Mowers passed away in 2013 due to a brain aneurysm. After the tragedy occurred, one of Nick’s best friends, John Ogbin, organized The Nick Mowers Memorial 5K Run/Walk in Nick’s honor. There is also a dog park dedicated to Nick on Riviera Drive in Pennsville. Discover Pennsville recently caught up with John and did a Q & A with him regarding the event and about Nick. Further details about the event are available at The 9th Annual Nick Mowers 5K page.
The Interview:
Q: What inspired you to decide that a 5K would be a great source of revenue to raise money for the Nick Mowers Dog Park?
A: The 5K was started for two reasons. To raise funds for an annual PMHS Art Scholarship and an excuse to get my friends together to remember Nick. The Dog Park came as an idea after we realized the success of the race. I told Nick’s family that we were going to have an event to remember Nick each year and it’s gonna be the biggest party in Pennsville because he would have loved that. I thought of a 5K because I remember attending and participating in The Septemberfest 5K when I was little, and my mom and dad ran it. That race was so much fun. I knew that my friends and I could make a 5K that would be just as fun, if not more.
Q: What is the entry fee?
A: Pre-Registration is $30, Day of registration is $35.
Q: Donations?
A: We take any kind of donations they can be submitted right on the Run Sign Up site at the top of the page.
Q: And do participants have to run/the whole 5K?
A: No, I just like to see people come out.
Q: Do you have maps to explain to participants where they start and where they finish?
A: Yes, we have maps on display at registration and I try to post the map on our page the week before the race. We also have directional arrows on the course and a water stop at the halfway point. It’s a nice run through the park, down North River Drive and back, finishing at the end of the bulkhead.
Q: What inspired the idea for the dog park?
A: The Dog Park idea came about because Nick was an animal lover especially dogs. When he came to my house, I almost thought he just came to see my dogs more than me. We didn’t know Pennsville needed a dog park, but it turns out it did. We had the funding due to the popularity of the race and we were happy to be able to provide it.
Q: Next year will be the 10th running of this event. Is this something you see continuing for the foreseeable future?
A: Yes, it’s going to continue as long as people keep showing up.
Q: How has the Pennsville community responded through the years to this event?
A: Awesome! We started off the first year with about 85 runners. Over the years that number has swelled to over 200 and so many more people just show up. I even heard it referred to as the unofficial kickoff of spring/summer in Pennsville and that warms my heart.
Q: Has planning this event become more challenging or easier over the years?
A: There are always little problems that arise when planning any event, but we take them in stride and solve what we can. COVID was tough but we adapted and are still around today. The only thing out of our control is the weather and we’ve been pretty lucky over the years. I think someone is looking out for us on that one.
Q: Is the dog park treated with great care by the Pennsville community or do you think there could be improvements?
A: Of course, there are going to be issues, but we appreciate the help of the community and local business that pitch in when we need it. Our biggest issues are people not picking up after their dogs and realizing that the wind off of the river is no joke even for fencing. There can always be improvements and I have some ideas, but I do have to consider how to manage them. The dog park is free and open to the public. It is maintained 100% by Nick’s Family and friends and we want to keep it that way forever.
Q: What do you get the most out of this event?
A: Seeing people have fun on the day of the event. I love being the emcee and playing music for everyone to enjoy. Your fun on that day is my responsibility and I try to do what I can to put smiles on faces.
Q: What do you think Nick would think of this event, the dog park, etc.?
A: I met Nick in seventh grade, and we logged a lot of hours together. I know he would love it and he’d get a kick out of having a Dog Park named after him.
Q: How would you like Nick to be remembered?
A: When I see memorials for people, I always wonder what they were like and feel a bit of emotion to know that there is someone or some group that felt the urge to do something in their memory. When Nick passed that was how I felt but I knew it had to be something big because to me and everyone that knew him, he was special. He always made me and everyone around him laugh, so I know the memorial had to be fun. He was always up for a good hang, so I knew it had to be a gathering. He was always trying something new, so I knew it had to be a challenge, a 5K and no matter what it had to have some good music, food, and drinks. So that’s what we did, we created a good time, a challenge, with good music, food, drinks, and plenty of smiles! That’s how I want Nick to be remembered.
Q: Who would you like to thank for their efforts in making this event a success year after year?
A: First and foremost, I’d like to thank my wife, Charlie. She’s the one who runs the show, I’m just the talent, 😊. Seriously without her this event wouldn’t take place. Next, thank you to NGS Landscaping for keeping the dog park looking nice year after year. I’d like to thank the Cook family and the crew at the Shipyard. The Shipyard formerly the Riverview has been our home from the start. Heck one year we even had the afterparty in the parking lot! They have been the best. I can’t thank them enough for working with us and providing the best setting for the race. Thanks to the Pennsville Township Committee, they have been terrific in approving the Dog Park and being supportive of our efforts. Thank you to all the people who help year after year. Julie, Alecia, Carla, Ben, Amy, Megan, Jen, Lori, Kristen, Mike, Ellie, Stacy, Kelly, Jamy, my mom and dad, Mr. Carp, the list goes on and on. I can’t name you all because there are so many, and I don’t want to leave anyone out but thank you from the bottom of my heart. THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! Without your help this event wouldn’t be possible. Thank you to the Mowers Family, Mike, Jordan, Billy, Cumbo, Joe, Brian, Travis, and Clint for agreeing to my crazy idea from the start and trusting me to make it success. Thanks to Rocky for our awesome t-shirts. A big thank you to James Cornette for his spectacular artwork for the t-shirts and never asking for a dime in return. Can’t forget our photographer Jarred Cornette! Thank you for providing the pictures free of charge for everyone to enjoy. Finally, to our runners and supporters. THANK YOU! If you knew Nick or not thank you for coming every year. I know Nick is smiling with us every year, this is definitely his kind of party
Q: Any additional comments?
A: Let’s get ready to party on the 20th! I can’t wait to see you all there!
