As you know the Telluride Bluegrass Family has suffered a tragic loss with the passing of Hippie Jerry Lunsford. Losing Jerry from the Town Park Family is the equivalent of losing Sam Bush from the Festival stage. That is how important Hippie was to us Town Parker’s. He was the heart beat of the 1000 plus people in that campground. I know that Brian, and Dustin have been to Camp Run a Muck on numerous occasions, and Steve even traveled to San Francisco for Hardly Strictly to experience for himself the “Camp Run a Muck” experience. Know this, while others contribute tremendously, Hippie was the Spirit that drove Cam Run a Muck. Without him the camp will go on, and thrive, because of his spirit living in all of us.
This bring me to the reason for this letter. I know you are buried in preparation for the 46th annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the programs are printed and ready to be handed out at the box office and other venues but I wanted to suggest a fitting tribute that he Planet can bestow on the memory of Hippie Jerry. For the last 11 years the Planet has conducted a “Campsite Challenge” encouraging camps to “Festivate Sustainably”. In, fact Camp Run a Muck won the award at least once, and we were in contention last year. Hippie was the driving force in our camp that epitomized everything that the Planet stands for with regards to sustainability. I think he was the first to bring solar panels to camp, he did everything by the book, and he made us all proud to be a part of RaM. Other camps followed his lead, he was an innovator. He made our camp “clean, sustainable, and creative.
With all of the above in mind I would like to suggest that starting this year and into the future, you rename the Annual Campsite Challenge and start referring to it as the Annual “Hippie Jerry” Campsite Challenge. A fitting tribute to someone who stood for all that you do, and carried it out to the T. Hey he even told my wife last year that he was going to work on a way to recycle bacon grease for this year. We won’t know if he was able to do it, but Planet, you can honor Jerry in a way he would approve.
This is why I love Planet Bluegrass! Thanks Dustin, Craig, Steve and the entire Planet Team for honoring our Brother. It means a lot. Jerry would be proud to know that he will be associated with your team, your festival, and the Camp he loved. Bless you all!
This may be my favorite topic for a very long time.
Thank you pirate for the suggestion and thank you pb for doing this for your festivarians. One more reason why we endure the arduous challenges to gather together year after year. Hippie Jerry left a wonderful influence on many and thanks to this action his influence will continue. :festivarian
My pleasure TRL! once again Planet Bluegrass shows the heart, that makes them different from any other music promoter in the world! Love goes both ways with these folks! Have the BEST FEST ever!
Wow!!! :medal
Pirate, thank you for bringing this up! And thank you Planet Bluegrass for agreeing and putting your stamp of approval. Craig, Steve, Dustin, you guys rock!! Just like Pirate said, this is a big reason we all agree the Planet is the #1 promoter of festivation …
Bluegrass festivation!! :thumbsup :thumbsup
Doc, Hippie Deserves to be remembered, not only by us, but by the people that will never have had the opportunity to meet him. He, more than anyone, embodied the spirit that was, and is, Town Park! The love and the joy that we all feel when we are there is something he showed every day. Hippie would indeed be overwhelmed by this gesture from The Planet. He prided himself in doing things the right way, and I am glad that the wonderful folks at Planet Bluegrass chose to honor him in this way!
Pirate –
A very eloquent note and I got chills reading it. :thumbsup
I can’t think of a better tribute or anything more than what Jerry stood for. He really did walk the walk when it came to festivating sustainably . . .
He would have loved this! And, He/RAM, won the inaugural campsite challenge 11 years ago! :medal
