Duke Ommert checking in
- ommertryan
- Jun 2
- 7 min read
dolikeduke.org
First things first...GREAT NEWS!!! Duke’s online merch store is OPEN!!! It will be open for a few weeks, before we close it and submit orders to be fulfilled. GET YOUR ORDERS IN NOW!!! There are some fantastic new colors and options. You can find his store on his foundation page dolikeduke.org under the “merch” tab or click the pink button below . As a reminder, all proceeds go to the Do Like Duke Foundation.
I want to reiterate how much we appreciate everyone who has, and continues to call, text, stop by, check in on us, and tell stories about Duke. The support we have received is so appreciated, and we wouldn’t be able to try to move forward each day without each and every one of you. We have been blessed with ”Duke’s Army” who have helped with so many different things. I firmly believe that Duke purposely placed people in our lives who have superpowers for everything we need right now.
We continue to hear stories about Duke, some of which we have never heard before. We love the stories; keep em coming! The common themes revolve around his athletic prowess, his humor, his kindness and how he made certain kids, and adults, really feel “seen.” There isn’t a single minute that goes by that we don’t miss him and wish we could have a “redo” of that day. We know where he is, and that he is being taken care of better than we ever could, but that doesn’t make it any easier. He is missed and he is definitely loved by so, so many people.
On March 28, we partnered with The Sharewaves Foundation for the March Gladness Do Like Duke 3v3 Youth basketball tournament. This was our first event, and it went really well. We had 70+ teams and over 1200 people in attendance!! Duke was at the forefront of everything. It was as good of a day as it could have been, all things considered. Big thank you to The Sharewaves Foundation for allowing us to partner with you. We look forward to next year! The date has been set for March 27, 2027. Save the date!!!
There was a group of Duke’s friends’ parents who ran the Rock The Parkway Half Marathon on April 11. Duke always asked me, ”Dad, when are you going to join Run Club?” I’m sorry I didn’t do this when you could be there physically, but I joined and we ran this race for you, Bubba. It wasn’t easy, but it was done with you in mind. We represented you well that day, and we always will!
Duke and Mila’s elementary held their annual “Open House” on April 30th. We were given permission to set up a table to sell Duke’s merchandise. The support, again, was overwhelming. The Brookwood community has been nothing short of amazing. We see kids and adults wearing Do Like Duke gear everywhere we go.
Earlier that afternoon, a sign commemorating “Duke Drive” was installed in the parking lot of Brookwood. Each year, this “Drive” is auctioned off at the Brookwood Auction. Some friends of ours won this item and thoughtfully gave tribute to Duke's name and legacy with a grand gesture. Duke would be tickled to know he has a "drive" named after him. What an enormous honor. THANK YOU!!!
The Brookwood 4th graders played a game of kickball on the evening of May 1st. It was a fun evening with a lot of his classmates. Monica brought a “fat head” of Duke to make sure he was present. However, by the looks of this picture, Duke (the beam of sunlight) definitely made sure he wasn’t going to miss this opportunity to watch his friends compete! It turned into a parents vs kids game….let’s just say the kids were reminded where their competitive fire came from! The game ended with Walt and Monica colliding at home plate and Monica covered in dirt. Several of Duke's classmates said, "that is the Duke way."
Among the many opportunities that have come our way to help promote Duke’s foundation, the Kansas City Royals honored us as the Buck O’Neill seat recipients on May 5th. This was extra special for us because not only does Duke love baseball, but he absolutely loves the Royals. This is a memory we will cherish forever. Once again, the show of support made it all the more special. Some of his friends’ dads set up a tailgate prior to the game. I had to ignore the thought that we should've be there 10 years from now celebrating Duke's MLB Royals Debut instead. During the game, we all met in the outfield for a group picture. Monica and Mila printed the photo, and lost head count at 181!! As you can see, the outpouring of support was enormous. I have also posted a picture of Duke being honored on the big screen during the game.
We have been honored a few additional times by being asked to set up a table at various events to continue to promote Do Like Duke. Forever Smiles had their annual golf tournament on 5/11 and GABL/MoKan and Dick’s Sporting Goods held a 3v3 basketball tournament at the Dick’s House of Sport parking lot on 5/16. We appreciate your generosity with asking us to set up a table for Duke, and donating some proceeds to Duke’s Foundation. It means a lot to us. THANK YOU!
Duke had always been eager to someday sport a Shawnee Mission South Raiders jersey. He had several years to go, but ambition is something he never lacked. Every year Duke participated in several of the camps the high school offered. When the SMS baseball team asked if our family would be interested in promoting Do Like Duke, at their annual Fan Day, it was an invitation to run out on the field as a Raider in Duke's honor.
When they asked if we had any interest in throwing out the first pitch, Mila didn't hesitate to say yes.
Mila will always miss being coached by her big brother, but there is one thing she definitely learned from him, and that is "with preparation and hard work, there is nothing she can't accomplish."
To get ready for the big game, several of Duke's friends came over after school for "pitching practice." It wasn't long before Mila was throwing strikes, followed by her unsolicited advice about how MY pitching stance lacked power. She was ready!
Duke showed up on game day and saw his little sister confidently rifle one over the plate. Thank you for all the fan support and to everyone who made this opportunity possible. I know Duke was BEAMING!!!
(Click the purple button to watch!)
This spring has brought on a lot of “firsts” and thus, a lot of emotions. We’ve dealt with a lot of things we never thought we would have to deal with. One of those includes not being at the ball field several times a week. We have attended a few games when we felt we could handle it. We sure miss seeing our #44 or our #7 out there competing like he always did. I have coached Duke's flag teams since he was 5 years old. I knew coaching the team this season was something that would be somewhat helpful, but extremely difficult. Looking out there and not seeing Duke in the defensive backfield or playing QB broke my heart. But I knew being a leader for the boys is something Duke would want. The boys competed hard and they had a good season. They made Duke proud, no doubt.
Duke’s 11th birthday was on May 17th. Every day is extremely difficult, but we had no way to gauge how the day would effect us until it arrived. We simply knew we were in no position to host or plan a birthday party for Duke knowing he wouldn't be present. We also weren't sure how the anniversary of the day Monica and I received the esteemed title of "Mom and Dad" for the first time would affect us emotionally. We decided to put no expectations on ourselves that day. We purposely made no plans, waiting to see where the wind blew us, if anywhere at all. Well, it blew us to Meadowbrook Park. It ended up exactly the way Duke would have wanted. A bunch of his buddies (and some families) ended up fishing for a few hours. Some of them used Duke’s favorite bait; raw hotdogs.
I vividly remember sitting in the hospital waiting for Duke to make his appearance back in 2015. We were watching the Royals vs Yankees baseball game as we watched the weather, hoping it didn’t go into a rain delay. The game was played (we lost), it rained heavily, and we met Duke at 2:36 am on May 17, 2015.
We couldn’t possibly have known, at that time, how Duke’s story would play out. Nor could we understand the enormity of blessings and memories he would bring us, or the impact he would have on people outside his reach. We are trying to do the best we can to move forward every day, no matter how small the progress might be. We are able to do that BECAUSE that is what Duke would want, and BECAUSE he showed us what it’s like to “do hard things.” We miss him more than words can say, and we love him even MORE. He continues to make us proud each day.
We held our first Do Like Duke Board meeting on May 21st. It was a very productive meeting, and I feel very strongly about the members we chose to represent Duke's name, legacy, and most importantly, his heart. I am optimistic about the solid direction that will be set as we move into the future, in order to build something sustainable. Decisions will be made about exactly what we will be doing for fundraising, as well as decisions on where exactly Duke’s money will be donated, among MANY other things.
I want each of you to know that we appreciate you….every single one of you. And we appreciate all the different things you’ve done and continue to do. We won’t ever have the words to express it appropriately. We don’t have much to give at this time, and we feel bad about that. However, please understand that you are also playing an enormous role in Duke’s story. Don't forget to grab your Do Like Duke gear while the store is open!!!
With Love,
The Ommerts
PS: Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement with more information for the next event that Do Like Duke will be partnering with the Kansas City Royals!!!
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