The center of Leesburg will be filled with carnival games, bouncy houses, and other fun activities on Saturday when the community comes together to support a local business owner fighting breast cancer.
Paige Juillerat, owner of Mane Street Salon and organizer of Saturday’s event, described it as a “big carnival.”
Scaring Cancer on Main Street begins at 1 p.m. and will include carnival games; food, such as pizza, chips, and baked goods; split the pot; a silent auction; and numerous activities, including a hot dog eating contest, a pumpkin pie eating contest, and a talent show.
“It’s going to be a fun time,” Juillerat said, adding that there will also be “tons of games.”
“Everything costs a dollar,” she said. T-shirts for the event can be purchased for $10.
The talent show will be judged by Wyatt McCubbin. He is described on his website as “an up-and-coming country music singer and songwriter with a deep and mature voice that doesn’t quite seem to match his 19 years of age.” Juillerat added that following the talent show McCubbin will perform.
She also said that kids are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes and that a photo booth will be set up for pictures.
“We’re hoping to have a good time at Halloween and also raise money for a good cause,” Juillerat said.
Scaring Cancer on Main Street is part of what Juillerat described as an annual “give back to our town” effort. She said the businesses in downtown Leesburg make up “such a tight-knit little street.”
Funds raised on Saturday will go toward helping Ann Smithson, owner of Saucy Sisters Pizza, pay her medical bills in her fight against breast cancer.
Juillerat said that when Smithson first told her about the diagnosis, “We knew we had to do something.”
“We’re going to beat it,” Juillerat added, before saying that Smithson is “so strong and so happy.”
Juillerat described other times the Leesburg community has come together, including earlier this year when people throughout the village showed her support after her son passed away. “I can’t thank them enough,” she said.
She also said Saturday’s benefit is the second such large-scale event that has been held to raise funds for local people. Juillerat said the community previously raised $7,000 for the Stiffler family to have a baby through in vitro fertilization. Now, she said, that family has a 2-year old.
“We are a community that helps support each other,” Juillerat added.
For more information about the benefit, or to enter any of the contests, contact Juillerat at 937-218-1515.
Reach Sarah Allen at 937-393-3456, ext. 1680, or on Twitter @SarahAllenHTG.