Kerri Johnson, Executive Director of local transitional housing community Jeremiah’s Place, has been selected as the Grand Marshal of the 2024 Gold Rush Days Festival, while local residents Jimmy and Cheryl Berry have been chosen as King and Queen.
Johnson has lived in Dahlonega for 26 years, and has been married to Allyn Johnson since 1997.
She founded Pray Lumpkin and the Lisa Care benevolence ministry in Dahlonega, before ultimately joining the staff of Jeremiah’s Place in 2022.
Jimmy and Cheryl Berry have been married for 52 years. Cheryl has lived in Lumpkin County her entire life, while Jimmy moved from neighboring Dawson County when the couple married.
Jimmy began his career in law enforcement working for the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office. He then worked for the GBI from 1985 to 1992, and ultimately served as the local sheriff for 12 years. During her career, Cheryl served the community through the hospital, school system and the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office.
With the 70th installment of the popular annual festival right around the corner, The Nugget took a moment to interview this year’s Gold Rush royalty on what it means to be selected for their very special honors.
GRAND MARSHAL
First, The Nugget visited the office of Jeremiah’s Place in Dahlonega to speak to the 2024 Grand Marshal.
Before she sat down for an interview, Johnson could not resist hosting a brief tour of the organization’s facility, which consists of four duplexes with seven living units and one office space.
“We have used every inch of space. We have very little storage here so we have to take advantage of it,” Johnson said dramatically as she pulled back the shower curtain in the office bathroom to reveal a ceiling-high stack of household paper products.
When asked how she first learned that she had been selected as Grand Marshal, Johnson said she got a phone call from a member of the Gold Rush committee.
“I thought she was punking me. [She said] ‘Congratulations, we’ve selected you as the Marshal of the Gold Rush.’ And I was like ‘Did you get the right number?’
After the voice on the line answered in the affirmative, Johnson said she was “shocked.”
When asked if the role could help bring more awareness to Jeremiah’s Place, Johnson replied ‘Absolutely.’
“I think people are unaware of what we do. That’s why I love tours, because people are shocked,” she said.
However, Johnson said there is a fine line in terms of desired publicity.
“We try to keep ourselves as obscure as possible for the safety of our residents. We have a lot of residents from NOA [No One Alone]. But still, it’s a catch-22 because you need to raise funds and you need to be in the community,” she added.
Recent changes like the removal of a large business sign and the installation of an automatic gate at the entrance to the property were all made with security in mind.
“I was a single mom at one point. I was a victim of domestic violence. All those things. And you just want to be able to rest,” Johnson said.
“We try to make it as family-oriented as possible so they can enjoy the property.”
In terms of critical needs currently facing her organization, Johnson said the carpet and linoleum in most of the units desperately needs to be replaced.
“We are living on 60-year-old floors. I have a lot of women volunteers. I have very few men,” she explained.
She said the non-profit would certainly welcome any donations or male volunteers who would like to help repair the floors in all but two of the units.
“I had a church group from Atlanta that came in and helped us do one, and then our 72-year-old volunteer did the other one,” she said.
Finally, when asked what she especially appreciates about operating in Dahlonega, Johnson said “Everything about this community stands out.”
“I’ve never met people with such generous, gracious hearts. One community that has so many incredible, generous people? I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve travelled, I’ve lived in other areas. Even people that I know, when I tell them about things that go on in Dahlonega they’re like ‘I’ve never heard of anything like that,’” she continued.
As an example, Johnson mentioned that Jeremiah’s Place has 150 local “Women of Jeremiah” that help out residents.
“When our residents come in, we build a profile of what their lack is. And then we build a team of mentors that will meet with them regularly to pour into them to help them become who they’re supposed to be.”
Mentors including attorneys, nurses, teachers and principals help build social skills and nurture relationships.
“It’s incredible for everybody. They come here thinking they’re serving, and they leave here blessed,” Johnson said of the volunteers.
KING & QUEEN
Next, The Nugget reached out to the Berrys for their comments on this year’s Gold Rush celebration.
While the royal couple was enjoying an out-of-town vacation, they were kind enough to respond to questions about their selection as this year’s King and Queen.
Jimmy said they first found out about the honor when Mallory Odom with the Gold Rush Days Festival reached out to their daughter, Jennifer, and notified her that the couple had been selected.
“Jennifer kept the news a secret until we could all be together later that evening. Jennifer said she had something important to share with us, and to our surprise, told us we had been selected as this year's Gold Rush King and Queen!” Jimmy added.
At this year’s Gold Rush, Dahlonega will be sending local gold to the State Capitol to re-gild the dome in a special ceremony. When asked how it feels to preside over such a significant year in the life of the annual festival, Jimmy said “it’s hard to believe” that it has been 70 years since the very first Gold Rush Festival.
“We both were just young children when the community came together and decided to honor our town's rich heritage with a festive celebration,” he said. “We were excited to learn that Dahlonega would once again be sending local gold to our State Capitol.”
“We have traveled through Atlanta many times over the years,” Cheryl added. “It is always so heartwarming to see that beautiful gold dome, knowing it represents Dahlonega's distinct history and the lives of those who made our way of life possible. It is an honor to represent our community for this extra special occasion and be a small part of our town's history.”
The couple noted that the number 70 has additional meaning to them: Jimmy and Cheryl married in 1972, their daughter was born in 1979, and they are both in their 70's now.
Cheryl said her earliest memories are of her family gathering at a small home that still stands on Martin Street, and time spent at a local church which her grandparents established.
“It has been interesting to watch Dahlonega grow from a small country town into a pristine town that draws thousands of visitors each year. While some things have changed over time, our town has maintained a deep sense of devotion to faith, to family, and to supporting our neighbors,” Jimmy concluded.