First Annual Journey-4-A-Cure Fest A Hit

The first annual took place on Saturday, October 8th at Bull Run Regional Park . There was wine, food, kid’s activities and live music. Several hundred people came to show their support for Journey 4 A Cure, a local organization that is bringing awareness to pediatric cancer and it’s severe lack of funding. People in attendance kept saying the same thing. “What a beautiful day.” Truly it was. You just could not have asked for better weather.

Sherri Carmical could not agree more. Sherri is the Vice President of J4AC, which was created shortly after her son Declan lost his courageous battle with brain cancer a little over a year ago. He was just eight days shy of seeing his first birthday. As Sherri looked around, surveying the scene, she gave a knowing smile. She just knew that Declan had something to do with the incredible day.

There were signs of Declan’s presence everywhere, from his family to his photos to the J4AC logo. It was all a reminder of why the event was taking place. I arrived later in the day and I asked Sherri how she felt the event was going. She was very pleased and hopeful that the event would continue to grow. Jim Vance was the MC (love him!) and even he was surprised at what little funding pediatric cancer receives. He pledged to help bring further awareness to the cause.

To say that pediatric cancer lacks funding is truly an understatement. The American Cancer Society directs less than HALF a penny per ONE dollar of public support to pediatric cancer. The fact of the matter is that it’s not personal—it’s business. While advancements in medical technology for adult cancers continues to grow, children are receiving virtually the same treatment that they were thirty years ago. This is what the Carmical family discovered while they were dealing with Declan’s illness.

Shortly after Declan’s life was taken by cancer, Journey 4 A Cure was founded by his aunt, Beth Collingwood. She is the driving force behind this young foundation. J4AC was born from her love for her nephew, but also from the determination to bring awareness to the public about the facts regarding pediatric cancer. If you take a few moments to read some basic information about the current funding for pediatric cancer, it will most likely surprise you. Are you okay with that?

Of course, we don’t like to think about harm coming to our children, but we would be ignorant not to acknowledge that cancer can strike any one of us at any time. Our children are not excluded. We have the tools and the ability to make a difference. No parent should ever have to hear that their child has cancer, but it does happen and will continue to happen. Children count on us to be their voice and we have to speak up for them, whether it’s our child or someone else’s.

So as we walked around today enjoying the offerings of some local vineyards and live entertainment, the reason why we attended was not forgotten.

I hope that you will take some time to visit Journey 4 A Cure and read more - both about the facts regarding pediatric cancer, as well as the personal stories of the many children who have been affected by this horrible disease. You can also find out about the many ways in which you can help. Be sure to bookmark their website, as well as “like” Journey 4 A Cure on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to stay up to date on news and events.

The first annual Journey 4-A-Cure-Fest was a great event and it can only continue to grow. This organization is doing what they do for the kids – our kids. From events such as this, to their iPads 4 Cancer program and various fundraising events, they are working tirelessly not only to bring awareness, but to bring some relief to families that are dealing with this killer disease. All across the country, people are showing their support and it’s a beautiful thing to see. They’ve started this movement and it’s up to us to keep it going. “Our Journey begins with you and ends with a cure!”

See you at Journey 4-A-Cure-Fest 2012.