Darius Goes West Carnival Overview

By: Suleiky Guerrero

M&M TIPster

Another Annual Darius Goes West Day (DGW) that was as good as expected. This Saturday, July 24, was the Darius Goes West Carnival in Athens, Ga. There was music, face painting, water bounce houses, basketball, the Goslabi Challenge—where contestants swallow a spoon of the sushi spice wasabi—mechanical bull riding, animal petting, horse rides and a dunking booth for the mayoral candidates.

Many people attended the event, including Darius' family, friends, visitors and the mayoral candidates.

“I laughed, I cried, it was great” said Kelly Freeman, a Darius Goes West Day volunteer from Sugar Hill, Ga., about the Darius Goes West movie. “They gave so much to him and he’s giving so much to us and doesn’t even realize it so the least we can do is give back.”

“It really touched me that actually the crew would take upon the cause that they did and decide ‘Hey, we’re going to do something about this,” said Freeman’s mother, Judy.

Dan Johnson who had met Darius before the movie also had a lot to say about him. “The job that he’s done raising money for the cause and that he’s stayed with it so long and really seen it through instead of just taking his trip and staying home after that, he has kept working, trying to fight the disease.” Dan brought his brother Phil Johnson, a spinal meningitis survivor from 1953 who also supports Darius’ cause, to the event on Saturday.

The candidates also had a lot to say. Spencer Frye, who is the director of Athens Area Habitat for Humanity and a mayoral candidate for the Athens elections, said he met Darius when he and his mother were looking for affordable housing. Not being able to build a house for them they sent them over to one of their partnering homing agencies, the Athens Land Trust. Here they were able to find Darius and his mom a home. The only problem was that the house was too small. The hallways were too narrow and wasn’t handicapped accessible, so they put up funds to build additions to the home such as the handicap ramp and widening the doorways.

“What he’s done and what folks have done around him is just inspiring,” Frye said.

Heidi Davison, Athens’s mayor when Darius left for his cross-country trip, was also there Saturday. “It’s a real unifying event that everyone can get on board with and feel like they’re a part of. So when you keep reading the story, folks that have been involved with it from the very beginning say ‘I’m a part of that’ and are proud of that,” she said.

Suleiky Guerrero is a Media and Message TIPster. She is also a rising 9^th grader at Westwood MOA in Port St. Lucie, FL.