Fetch Park & Ice House

STORY: Karon Warren
PHOTOS: Stephen Payne

CAUSE: Enduring Hearts, which funds research to increase the longevity and quality of life for pediatric heart transplant recipients

After opening Fetch Park & Ice House in the Old Fourth Ward, business partners Garrett Reynolds (right) and Stephen Ochs (left) didn’t take long to dig in and start giving back to their community. Having worked with Enduring Hearts for the last four years, Ochs, a former college baseball player, knew he wanted to continue to be a part of the organization. “I wanted to get involved in any way that I could to help spread awareness after learning more about what Enduring Hearts was trying to do and what they stood for,” he says.

This summer, the duo held a doggie fashion show at Fetch Park to benefit the organization. Models escorting dogs in the show were Atlanta children who have benefitted from Enduring Hearts’ work. “These kids have not gotten to have a normal childhood due to issues outside of their control,” Reynolds, a former Atlanta Falcons player, says. “We wanted to give them a unique experience centered around them.”

On November 17, Fetch Park and partner Goza Tequila will host a .01K “road race” where owners and their dogs compete for first, second and third places. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Enduring Hearts on Giving Tuesday, November 27.

For more information on the .01K race, visit fetchparkatl.com/events.

To donate to Enduring Hearts, visit donateheart.org.

JUVENILE HEART TRANSPLANTS BY THE NUMBER

Average number of pediatric heart transplants each year: 500-600 worldwide

Average time a heart transplant lasts: 12 years (However, one in four children could need another heart transplant within five years)

Average cost of hospitalization and primary heart transplant: $221,897

Average cost of hospitalization and replant (a second) heart transplant: $285,296 Annual follow-up costs following transplant: $18,141 for first year; $18,480 per year thereafter*

*Sources: EnduringHearts.org, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine