On Rendering Assistance

By Jonathan Perry

The IJA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, with the mission to render assistance to fellow jugglers.

How many of you put this into practice? Whether it’s giving a budding juggler hand-me-down props, sharing floor/couch-space, giving a friend a ride to your local meeting, or something entirely different, how many of you choose to render assistance to fellow jugglers?

Our membership is special. As diverse as we are, we all share the love of juggling. I think that more than most realize, we DO go out of our way to render assistance and just don’t call enough attention to this behavior. Recently, I witnessed one of the more grand efforts of doing exactly this quietly and think it’s worth calling out.

The Groundhog Day Jugglers Festival in Atlanta, GA is one of the longest running local fests (and possibly my favorite). I believe I haven’t missed attending one since 1995. But this year, something different happened.

Jay Ko, some of you may recognize him from winning the 2024 Sky King Award or from all his wonderful camera-work for the IJA, did something really special. Using a travel benefit from his work, Jay provided airline flights and hotel for 12 (!!!) jugglers to attend the Groundhog Day Festival. He brought jugglers from around the Philadelphia area, some of whom had never been before and some of whom hadn’t attended in well over a decade. He could have chosen to spend his travel benefit personally but instead shared it with the greater juggling community.

Back Row (L-R): Dick Rainer, Andy Biggin, John Eddy, Stephen Doutt, Jonathan Perry (author), Doug Stafford, Mikey Manoguerra Front Row (L-R): Andrew Scharff, Cindy Eddy, Sandra Leith, JoAnn Ireland, Maya Perry, Larry Vee, Jay Ko

This is exactly the sort of caring membership that makes up our organization.

The IJA renders assistance to fellow jugglers in many ways also. One new way this year at the IJA Annual Festival, attendees under 18 can get a free gym pass (though some conditions do apply). In addition, the J. Todd Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund continues to issue festival assistance as well. (Applications close on March 15, 2026!)

Sharing juggling at festivals is a wonderful way to come together and share our joy. This creative and unusual community that we are all part of is filled with many Jays doing similar acts of kindness quietly.

So, how do YOU render assistance to your fellow jugglers?

Jonathan Perry is a current IJA Board Member based out of Delaware. Being able to hang out with all the jugglers is one of the main reasons he’s still willing to drive 1600 miles for a weekend juggling fest.

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