ELLEN MORTENSEN

“Great Scotts and Knickers Too”. That is the theme of the 6th Annual RareJul Golf Tournament set for Friday, Aug. 12 at Wildhorse Golf Course in Gothenburg. Participants are encouraged to dress in costume to match the fun theme, and as incentive to do so a prize will be awarded for Best Dressed Scottish theme, so bring out the knickers and Tartan!

The golf tournament is held each year in honor of 2-year-old Juliet Strasburg, who died in 2016 of Vici Syndrome, a congenital disease so rare that Juliet was the 21st confirmed case in the world. The following year the little girl's parents, Jailyn and Justin Strasburg, started the RareJul Foundation to offer support to the children, families and facilities affected by rare disease.

The shotgun start for the tournament is set for 1 p.m. on Friday, and the teams will enjoy a meal following the 18-hole round. The beneficiary of the funds from this year’s tournament has not yet been announced.

“When you have a child diagnosed with a rare disease, it takes everything - emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially - to care for them,” said Jailyn in a 2019 interview with the Leader. “Whatever is needed comes at a cost. We want to help ease that burden for the family in whatever way we can.”

“Juliet’s journey threw us into the trenches,” Justin wrote in his blog, RareJul. “Juliet is our beauty, our found treasure. You have to get dirty in the ruins to find the treasure within it - a RareJul.”

For the Strasburg’s, the golf tournament in Juliet’s name provides a way for them to help families walking similar journeys as theirs.

The 2021 RareJul Golf Tournament featured a carnival theme, and participants even got into the spirit by decorating their carts. This year’s event, being held this Friday, will include a Scottish theme.