I wanted to introduce you to the folks that are going to make the magic happen for the Hand in Hand Reunion on April 2nd, 2011. This all-star team is going to be handling all the leg work for putting together an amazing evening! You probably remember most of them, but let's do some specific intros...
Left to right:
Bernie Rolfe - if you don't know who Bernie is, then you probably didn't attend Hand in Hand. Bernie was the man behind the music and in front of the music. He was the leader of the New Beginning, as well as songwriter, arranger, organizer, coach and mentor to so many of the individuals and bands. It would have been difficult to have a Hand in Hand without Bernie's contribution. What a huge blessing he was to all of us!
Kayelen Rolfe - you may not recognize Kayelen. She has just joined the "family" in the last few years, but is bravely and graciously volunteering to help with the event and hang out with the riff-raff. We love Kayelen and you will love her too.
Terry Hann - infamous leader of Glory Road and the Everlasting Barnyard Joy Band. Still plays guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, harmonica and throws in some background vocals now and then. You may remember him as a Jekyll and Hyde type. He was a man of few words when off the stage, but full of laughs, jokes and sharing when he stepped up to the microphone. When my sisters saw him at Hand in Hand for the first time they literally thought that he had a twin brother because he was so different than the guy they met at home.
Nancy (Perkins) Hann - (that's me) I was a member of Shira as a vocalist and of course, a regular supporter of all the bands. Maybe a little more so for Glory Road. I always loved to sit in the audience and watch all the girls come up on stage after the concerts with sparkle in their eyes when they talked to all the handsome guys in the bands, knowing that I got to hang out with many of them. What a privilege it was to be part of that community.
Randy Thompson - came along a little later in the Hand in Hand scene, but was such a favorite for all of us. I rarely got to see him sing back then because he was often singing at the opposite side of town (at the other Hand in Hand location) when I was singing with Shira or hanging out with Glory Road. The Lord allowed our paths to cross later in the 70's and we're so thankful that we're still dear friends with him and Linda to this day. And he's still singing and leading worship at Open Door Fellowship!
Linda (Larson) Thompson - One half of the duo "Linda Larson and Friend". What a gorgeous vocalist and dear precious friend. I loved reading her story (below) about how she came to Hand in Hand from Wisconsin. So cool that God brought us all together from all corners of the country for such a time as that.
Don Nelsen - he was the drummer for almost every band at Hand in Hand at one time or another it seemed. He has always been so consistent and committed to being a vital part of the music ministry. What a gift to us both then and now.
Carol (Novkov) Nelsen - you probably remember her as one of the Novkov family vocalists in the group Sonrise. Carol is beautiful inside and out and someday maybe we'll get to hear the story of how she and Don started dating and ended up getting married as a result of Hand in Hand.
Joyce Allen - vocalist for the New Beginning and huge help behind the scenes at Hand in Hand. It's so cool to have her on this planning team since she was around from the beginning of Hand in Hand.
Tom Allen - another veteran of Hand in Hand. He served as the administrative leader of the ministry for many years and has some amazing stories to share of things that happened behind the scenes that some of us may have never heard about.
Michelle Mozingo - You'll have to ask her to share about her first experience attending a HinH concert. It's pretty hilarious! Fortunately for us she came back and the rest is history. We're excited that she and Rand will be doing the cooking for the reunion because they have both become quite the gourmet chefs! You're going to love the food and their comfortable, laid-back location - so much like it was at Hand in Hand.
Rand Mozingo - the leader of the band Sparrowe, Rand has a musical lean toward the Beatles sound and is an awesome singer/songwriter. Hopefully he'll have his recently released CD at the reunion so you can pick one up. And if you ask, maybe he'll give you a tour of his garden too.
This is our planning team leading up to the event, but we'll need some extra help on the day of the reunion- for set up, clean up and food service, so if you'd like to help that day, let us know and we'll be in touch with the details.
I hope you're looking forward to it even half as much as we are. It's all about community, catching up, and caring about each other. Hope to see you there!
