Dream Center: Children enjoy ‘miracles’
Published: June 26, 2005
There were a lot of near-miracles at Glen Miller Park Saturday.
For instance, it was a miracle that someone didn’t keel over from the tropical heat.
And it was a miracle that someone didn’t get hurt in the frenzy of the water slide.
And it was a miracle that people turned out in such large numbers on such a steamy day in the park.
But there was one true miracle and it was clearly stamped on the face of every child who played, putted, climbed, slid and tossed during the fifth annual Dream Center Carnival.
It was the miracle of caring and giving.
“I think this is so good. A lot of people came and had fun,” said Ivette Zuniga, 11. The Richmond girl came to the carnival with her mom and dad, Salomon and Elisa Zuniga, her aunt Marcella and two cousins.
Ivette’s favorite game was the water slide.
“It was the best,” she said. “I didn’t count how many times I went down but it was a lot of times.”
The Zunigas joined a crowd estimated at more than 3,000 for an all-afternoon funfest followed by a concert of hip-hop and contemporary Christian music at night.
The entire event was free to those attending and was staged by the Dream Center, a ministry of Bethesda Ministries. In all, 220 volunteers, including many who were not church members, helped with the event.
“We do it because it’s all about our kids,” said Janyce Melle of Centerville, a member of Bethesda Ministries. “We do it to show them that we care.”
Erica McCarty is Dream Center director. Her husband, Rick, founded the Dream Center and started the carnival at Starr Elementary School four years ago. Rick McCarty died of a massive heart attack July 5, 2004.
“What’s really neat is seeing how many people Rick blessed,” Erica McCarty said. “We’ve had businesses, other churches and people we don’t even know who have come to us to volunteer.
“People who don’t even go to church volunteered,” McCarty said.
Fifty young people from Bethesda Ministries’ Youth Group helped out.
“I do it to help out people in the community,” said youth group member Sarah Wyatt, 15. “It’s fun and it’s neat seeing all the kids having fun.”
Elijah Bell, 9, won prizes playing football and marble games.
“It’s good. I was having fun even though I didn’t get to do the water slide.
Elijah didn’t have a change of clothes, said his mother, Jackie Bell.
“This was nice for families,” she said. “We came here from Savanna, Georgia and Richmond is a small community and doesn’t have that many events like this. So we make sure we take advantage of them when we can.”
Roger Gregory and Jessica Jenkins attended the event with their four children. Gregory said he came to “see friends and just to have a good time.”
“It’s good for the kids and good for families,” he said. “It’s nice that it’s free but we would have been here regardless.”
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