A longtime Lorain County paramedic who has served his community for more than 20 years is now fighting cancer, and fire service organizations have organized a raffle to help cover his mounting medical costs and support his family.
Robert Owsiak, known as Bob to colleagues, was celebrating his 41st birthday with family at Kalahari Resorts on March 12, 2026. After going down a body slide, he suddenly lost movement on the left side of his body. He was rushed to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center, where doctors discovered a mass on the right side of his brain. That same night, he was transferred to University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center for urgent care. The following day, additional masses were found on his kidney and both lungs.
On March 19, 2026, Owsiak underwent brain surgery. Doctors successfully removed the entire brain mass. He now faces radiation, immunotherapy and extensive ongoing treatment. As a father of four, Owsiak has always focused on providing for and protecting his children. The financial burden from medical bills and time away from work has become overwhelming.
Mad Props Fabrication LLC, which produces high-quality forcible entry props for fire service training, has partnered with the Elyria Firefighters to launch a raffle benefiting Owsiak. The prize is a forcible entry door prop valued at $6,500. The raffle will be drawn once 100 tickets are sold. All proceeds will support Owsiak’s continued recovery.
Tickets cost $100 each and are available through the official Zeffy page hosted by Elyria Fire Fighters: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/mad-props-forcible-entry-raffle-to-benefit-paramedic-robert-owsiak. Organizers state that all money will be processed through Elyria Firefighters Union Local 474 and handled via a 501(c)(3) organization to ensure funds go directly to Owsiak and his family.
Brian Abbott, president of Mad Props Fabrication LLC, has expressed passion for both fire service training and supporting the men and women who care for others in their times of need. A post shared by organizers notes: “This is not a happy post. It is one of our brothers struggling significantly and has been dealt a very bad card. You have the opportunity to win one of our forcible entry doors for free. All money is going to be ran through Elyria firefighters union local 474. All monies will be handled through the 501(c)(3) and all money will go to Bob and his family. Bob has always been a great guy and served the community for 20+ years. Please help him in anyway you can.”
This fundraiser highlights the strong bonds within Ohio’s first responder community, where colleagues routinely rally to support one of their own during personal crises. South central Ohio residents who work in emergency services or value the dedication of paramedics and firefighters across the state can participate by purchasing a ticket and sharing the raffle information.
For more details or to buy tickets, visit the Zeffy link above. Updates on the raffle will be shared through Mad Props Fabrication LLC and Elyria Firefighters Local 474 channels.
