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6.20.13
:: Happy
10th Birthday, TR Online!
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It
seems like just yesterday that this great idea of a website to
honor TR was born, but believe it or not, its been 10 YEARS! TR
Online has come a long way from its inception following TR 2003.
It was initially put together to simply help a few of us help
remember who attended the prior few years. This information was
previously tracked on a spreadsheet (along with the still-used
TR shopping list). This spreadsheet is mentioned by John in the
Fire & Ice Documentary when he has trouble remembering some
of the attendees from years past and "whishes he had that
spreadsheet!". Today, TR Online serves as hub for perspective
attendees, but most importantly, as a look back to the memories
that are made year after year at TR! Its an almanac of Serb Fest
history and I simply can't wait to see how the site and its content
evolves over the next 10 years! Thank you all for visiting!
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6.02.13
:: TR
2013 - A Success, Once Again!
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TR
2013 may always be most remembered for being our first TR without
our old friend Jovan, but we’ll also remember it as a celebration
of his memory and affirmation that this great tradition that he
was so passionate about will continue to live on in his honor.
Thanks to all who attended in 2013 and for living in the great
spirit of Serb Fest amongst family and great friends! There’s
so much to recognize coming out of the weekend – particularly
with regards to a number of Awards handed
out this year! Congratulations are in order for Krangis, who took
home the honor of being the 5th recipient of the (newly renamed)
Jovan Zelenkovich Memorial Golden Cevapcici
Award. Congratulations are also in order for the 2013 Rookie
of the Year, Ethan Heitzman, the Vince Kus Honorary Intellectual
of the Year, Max Russo, and Cevapcici Consumption Award winner,
Scott Berger. Each recipient demonstrated exceptional displays
of the Tenets of Turkey Run. I invite you to relive the great
memories of TR 2013 HERE.
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5.17.13
:: TR Multimedia On-the-Go! Fire & Ice Special Edition Now
Available through Digital Download!
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Looking
to hype up your upcoming TR experience on the go?! We've long
offered digital downloads of your favorite soundtracks and Serb
Fest music collections. We have two exciting and emotional video
trailers available to stream online.
Now, I'm proud to announce the release of 2004's "Fire &
Ice Extravaganza" through digital download!
Download and import into iTunes to carry this classic TR footage
with you on your mobile devices! Its great for the ride down to
TR or your flight into Chicago! Hell, its great for the kids!
In the future we hope to bring you additional bonus footage from
the Special Edition release!
Download the video file [right click, save as] HERE
(be sure the file extension is saved as .m4v)
And of course, reconnect with the incredible music
collections we have available for download - inspired by the
Spirit of Turkey Run! Speaking from personal experience, these
tunes set the stage for TR like nothing else!
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5.12.13
:: Video
Trailer for TR2013 is Released!
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we're now officially inside of two weeks to arguably one of the
most pivotal years in Serb Fest history, I want to thank each and
everyone of you for your continued enthusiasm and loyalty to this
amazing tradition we're all so fortunate to be a part of. As you
all know, we have captured a lot of video footage over the past
decade including some very touching interviews with Jovan last year.
While none of us knew what would be in store the following year,
it makes his words that much more inspiring. Without further adieu,
on behalf of Krangis, I present the following trailer for TR 2013.
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5.01.13
:: Turn Back The Clock: A Look Back at TR 03- Ten Years Later
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TR
2003 - Perhaps the most memorable year in recent history, largely
due to its being captured on film and the focus of our beloved
"Fire & Ice Extravaganza" documentary. But aside
from so many quotes, songs, images and video clips being etched
in our memories from the documentary, TR 03 was truly unique and
important in a number of ways. The Serb Fest torch was officially
passed to the second generation as no "adults" were
in attendance for the first time. While the second generation
had been gaining steam since Monica and Jovan first had the notion
of bringing their own friends to TR a decade earlier, 2003 finally
represented the year that this generation's commitment to upholding
the tradition of Serb Fest was put to the test. Clearly, we succeeded!
Another 10 years later, in 2013, our commitment will once again
be tested - and I have no doubt that our commitment is stronger
than ever. Serb Fest's longevity will endure for decades more
to come! Take
a look back and appreciate one of the more pivotal and unique
years in Serb Fest history!
TR
03- Ten Years Later
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4.21.13
:: BS
Confirms Attendance for TR 2013!
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I
received unexpected confirmation moments ago from Rishi that two-time
Cevapcici Consumption
Award winner, Brian Kelley
has in fact altered his international travel plans for the summer
and will be able to attend after all! I know I'm excited for this
news and I know I'm not alone! I'm already hearing that some are
releived to hear that BS's very popular Korean Shortribs will
once again be on the menu!
As always, keep me posted on any attendance news or new attendees
that may be joining us!
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4.21.13
:: Long-time
Invitee Confirms Attendance for TR 2013!
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I
received confirmation yesterday afternoon that long-time invitee,
Erich Mann along with his wife Lauren are in fact looking to make
their Serb Fest debuts this May! Erich, known to many simply as,
"Ich", has had somewhat of a standing invitation to
attend for over a decade. He had confirmed attendance in 2009
but had to cancel the week of TR. All good things are worth the
wait, so regardless of how many years its been, we're excited
at the prospect of having Ich & Lauren join us this year!
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4.19.13
:: Highly
Anticipated Follow up to 2004's "Fire & Ice" Documentary
Gains Traction
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After
years of anticipation, Krangis has finally begun the arduous task
of compiling the incredible footage taken by a number of attendees
since 2005. As many of you know, the project has been gaining
steam over the last 2 years, culminating with last year's efforts
to capture a number of phenomenal interviews with key Serb Fest
attendees. While details of the upcoming release are not ready
to be released, the goal of this follow-up documentary has always
been to capture the rich history of Serb Fest and examining its
influence on today's Serb Fest - and most importantly, to remind
us all why we continue to come back to Turkey Run each year! All
great things take an enormous amount of time and effort - so we're
still anticipating a Spring 2014 release date. TR Online will
keep you abreast of any developments, so stay tuned!
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4.09.13
:: TR
2013 Schedule Announced
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The
full 2013 schedule has been posted to the 2013
preview page. While we've tried to not be overly structured
with the schedule for the weekend in years past, I thought it
might be appropriate to outline just a few key events and have
everyone be aware of them upfront in hopes of not having to do
too much wrangling or cause any undue stress for anyone leading
up to these events. This year we will plan on the annual
beater photo at 4:00 on Saturday. This will hopefully give
the Saturday arrivals plenty of time to get settled in and give
plenty of nap time through the mid afternoon. The photo will happen
with or without you, so consider this your warning. People have
been upset for missing it in the past, so if you'd like to be
part of the traditional photo, please be around! Sunday at 6:30,
we will attempt our large group photo. This has been very challenging
to pull off in the past, but when we've been able to, the photos
have been amazing! Again, we will have had a long day, but my
hope is to catch most, if not all of the group during dinner.
Following this photo, with what is expected to be the largest
gathering of attendees at any point of the weekend, I will have
some important announcements regarding the TR High Council as
well as the presentation of the 2013 Golden
Cevapcici Award!
Again to recap:
Saturday,
May 25 - 4:00pm - Annual Beater Photo (at Grill Site)
Sunday, May 26 - 6:30pm - Serb Fest Group Photo (at Grill
Site)
Sunday, May 26 - 7:00pm - TR High Council Announcement
and Golden Cevapcici Award Ceremony
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3.10.13
:: New
Additions to the Serb Fest Family!
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Congratulations
are in order for Nutz and Amy, who welcomed their son, Ethan
Douglas Heitzman to the world on March 9! We're also thrilled
to announce that on March 1, Dave and Bry also welcomed a son,
Louis John David. We're all excited for the little ones
to make their TR debut this year as the 3rd generation continues
to grow at an incredible rate!
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2.16.13
:: TR2013
to be a Pivotal and Exciting Year!
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Happy
February everyone! It's that time of year again, as we all start
looking forward to the warmth of Spring and the sizzle of cevapcici
on the grill! I have to admit, that while February traditionally
kicks off the TR season, I've been thinking long and hard about
TR 2013 since October. The thought of TR this year brings such
a range of emotions, but knowing that so many people are going
out of their way to attend in such an important and pivotal year
brings me great pride. I'm proud of what our generation has built
and what we're contributing each year to the legend of Serb Fest.
2013 will mark the year that we will be without the true founding
father of our generation at Turkey Run. Despite this, our group
and this great tradition has never been stronger. I look forward,
as have for the past 12 years as co-founding member for our generation,
to continuing the hype for Serb Fest each year! We have a number
of great things in store for everyone at TR this year, not only
to honor John, but to honor each and every attendee! As always,
please keep me abreast of your travel plans and any additional
guests that may be joining us this year! Please let me know if
you have any questions or ideas for how to make TR 2013 the best
Serb Fest yet!
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10.02.12
:: TR Online Celebrates the Life and Spirit of John Zelenkovich:
A Message From Scott Berger
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John
Zelenkovich
1979-2012
PHOTO SLIDESHOW
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I
struggle to find the right words to pay tribute to such an incredible
friend. The truth is, anyone reading this already knows in their
hearts what it is I'm so desperately trying to say. John inspired
me in so many ways... and while our friendship was so much more
than TR, it seemed to weave its way into the majority of our conversations.
I fed off of his passion for our annual Memorial Day gathering
and in turn, he fed off of mine. It was an endless cycle of hype
and excitement that may have come across as slightly insane and
ridiculous to outsiders, but was a source of so much genuine happiness
for him and I.
"I'm not gonna lie, I check the TR website several
times a day in hopes that it gets updated. I think that's just
as much a part of the TR tradition as anything else for me!"
- John Zelenkovich via text message to Scott Berger on 5/31/2012
This is why I'm compelled to cope with this loss by updating our
beloved TR website... For nearly 10 years, I've spent time documenting
the countless memories we create each year at TR and have peiced
together decades of rich history that came before us. In return,
we have something tangible here that we'll all have for the rest
of our lives. Still, such a motivating factor in my spending so
much time maintaining this website, was the joy and laughter John
and I shared after each update. I am lucky to be a part of the
Serb Fest family. Even as all of our friendships were young, some
15 years ago, we all knew almost immediately, that this tradition
was something special. While I always envisioned growing old along
side John at Turkey Run, I now know that instead, we will all
be celebrating his memory and unparalleled spirit for Turkey Run
and all that Serb Fest stands for.
I'm thankful for this gift that John has given so many of us -
We are all part of an amazing family and we will always have TR
as an "excuse" to know that at least once a year, we'll
all come together, no matter where life takes us. This is the
vision that John had for TR nearly 10 years ago - that TR would
continue to be "a constant in all our lives".
He knew that "each year, all of his best friends would
be at Turkey Run".
I could go on forever... but let me close with this..... Jovy,
we'll miss you, but your spirit will live with each of us forever.
It will transcend generations and continue to inspire us and future
generations to keep this beloved tradition alive. Until we meet
again, enjoy a drink and a sizzling cevap off the big grill in
the sky... and send our best to Cika Bora... Ziveli!
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