By ANGELA POUNDERS
For Potomac Local News
The Carnival of Hope is not your typical carnival. This event will take place this weekend, Saturday, May 4 at Marshall Elementary School at 12505 Kahns Road in Prince William County from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
There will be carnival food, games, Zumba, and music, but the purpose of this carnival is more than just having fun. It’s the first annual birthday celebration of 11-year-old Joshua Jurack who was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in January 2006. Duchenne is an extremely debilitating type of neuromuscular disease that strikes boys ages three to five years old.
The current reality is that the majority of young men afflicted rarely live past their late teen’s and early 20’s. While this disease has taken away Joshua’s ability to walk, it doesn’t affect his mental abilities or his spirit.
The Carnival of Hope is also a fundraiser to raise funds for Joshua’s Hope Inc. which is a corporation that helps families who are dealing with Muscular Dystrophy. Funds raised for the foundation will directly help Joshua’s family and other local families by helping with their medical bills, wheelchair purchases and more.
Joshua’s Hope Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) corporation that Joshua’s parents, Peter James (P.J.) and Kaaren Jurack, started in their son’s name two years ago. Their Facebook page states that the foundation is “dedicated to providing direct financial assistance for our family and others, as well as funding research opportunities.”
“Our goal with this event and with Joshua’s Hope Inc. is to be able to bless other families as we have been blessed,” said Kaaren Jurack.
In today’s economy, families are finding that funds available through the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) are no longer sufficient in providing what they need to care for their loved ones, states the Joshua’s Hope Inc. Facebook page. This is in part due to the MDA being forced to reduce its services four years ago and since have not been able to provide financial assistance to families requiring medical equipment, especially wheelchairs, according to the Joshua’s Hope Inc. Facebook page. It is one of the goals of Joshua’s Hope, Inc. to help fill that void and provide financial assistance to families battling Duchenne.
The carnival is sure to be a fun event for the community and a great opportunity to support a local family. There is no entrance fee and tickets will be available for fifty cents each. Kaaren Jurack said that the games will range from one to three tickets per play. There will also be glitter tattoos, face painting and pictures with Joshua for one to two tickets. In addition, Kaaren Jurack also shared that there will be a prize raffle for those who donate $50 or more.
This is a rain or shine event.
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