Owen Carr loved his role as mascot for Avon Middle School North and Avon High School. He spent his middle school and high school days attending every football and basketball game, both home and away, sharing his outgoing personality and friendly demeanor from inside the Oriole costume.
“I wanted to be a mascot because I enjoyed them,” he said. “It’s making kids happy and being there for them. It’s pumping up the crowd, and just comes down to it being my favorite thing.”
Owen’s father, Kevin, said the principals at the elementary and intermediate schools began calling and asking for a mascot visit.
“He’s done all sorts of parties, delivering cupcakes at fun events and attending activities at the other schools too,” Kevin said.
Owen was born with several medical issues, undergoing multiple surgeries from birth, and was eventually diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy, autism and an immune deficiency.
Kevin and his wife, Kelly, learned early on that if they follow their son’s dreams, he will live a joy-filled, successful life.
“We’re grateful for all the times we didn’t say no,” said Kelly. “We didn’t come up with the idea to mascot. Owen did, and it was a perfect fit. We often have kids and make all of these plans for them, but Owen has taken us to places we never thought we’d go.”
He found joy in the friends he made on the football and basketball teams, and the fun he had doing selfies and autographs with the crowds.
Owen has since graduated and now works in food services for Avon Community School Corporation, but last year, while talking about his experience, the family thought of a new challenge that gives similar opportunities to other kids in Hendricks County.
“I was saying I know the mascot role was such an amazing outlet for Owen, and I just wished we could tap into the disability community a little more and give them this opportunity,” Kelly said. “There are lots of kids that can do this.”
Miracle Mascot Summer Camp was created, and they launched the first three-day camp last summer. It returns this year on June 16, 17 and 18 for fourth-grade through high school students, countywide.
Fifteen students enrolled, half of them neurotypical and half neurodiverse – though you couldn’t tell once camp activities began.
Campers can be paired with a “buddy” if needed, and then they rotate between group activities and breakaway sessions.
“Owen has developed a list of mascot pointers, and he shares tips like never taking your mask off in front of people, recognizing personal space and using body language to determine if you should approach individuals,” Kevin said. “We brought in mascot costumes from Avon, Plainfield and Brownsburg so everyone can try those on along with some of Owen’s props.”
Some stations featured physical fitness routines, and others prompted campers to put oven mitts on and sign their name, to simulate autographs while wearing the mascot costume.
The Carrs are friends with Rowdy, the Indianapolis Indians mascot. He’ll make an appearance, as will the Indy 500’s Firehawk and several others, at a mascot jam party at the end of camp.
“Everybody has something to offer, and our goal is to be an inclusive group and give kids a chance to have some fun and make new friends,” Kevin said.
The camp has given Owen one more way of inspiring youths and bringing joy to the community.
“You can do it,” Owen said. “Keep your head up. God doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle, so if you just work hard, you can do anything.”
National Mascot Day is on June 17 this year, and they’ve chosen to host Miracle Mascot Summer Camp on the evenings of June 16, 17, and 18. Register at miraclemascot.com.
