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The
Serb Fest Hall of Fame was introduced in 2003 at a time when
today's generation believed that the days of sharing Memorial Day
Weekend with the elder generation of Serb Fest attendees were likely
behind them. And while their attendance resumed just one year later,
there was a sense that the Serb Fest torch had been passed to the
next generation, and in light of this, they felt it appropriate
to honor those who established Serb Fest as the time-honored tradition
that it remains today. |
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Dan
Boskovic :: Honorary Senior Founding Member
Serb
Fest Origin :: Boskovic Family
First Confirmed Serb Fest :: 1981
Family
:: Deb Boskovic (Wife), Danica Boskovic (Daughter), Ivana
Boskovic (Daughter), Bora Boskovic (Father), Cica Boskovic (Mother),
Catherine Boskovic (Sister), Caroline Boskovic (Sister)
Affectionately
known as "Crazy Dan", Dan is the son of Hall of Famers,
Bora & Cica Boskovic, and is perhaps the strongest link to
Serb Fest past . He has attended Serb Fest since at least 1981
and today, is most known for his infectious laugh and unadulterated
humor. His daughter Danica is set to log her 7th trip to TR in
just 7 years of life! Dan is as synonymous with Turkey Run as
anyone and is well on his way to his induction into the Turkey
Run Hall of Fame!
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::
FULL PROFILE ::
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Jovan
Zelenkovich :: Founding Member
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 1986
Family
:: Stephanie Bennett (Wife), Predrag Zelenkovich (Father),
Mila Zelenkovich (Mother), Nick Taylor (Nephew), Joe Taylor (Nephew)
Notable
Recruits :: Scott Berger, OLAF,
Jeff Heitzman, Brian
Kelley, Rishi Loona, Dave
R, Charlie Ruiz, Jeff
Bott
Jovan
is without doubt a critical link to Serb Fests past. Having a
near perfect attendance record dating back to 1986, As he puts
it... "Its all I know. Memorial Day means Turkey Run".
His dedication to upholding the tradition of Serb Fest is what
has given us the great opportunity to gather each year. In 1994,
following suit of fellow attendee and friend, Monica Stevanovic,
Jovan invited a friend, Jeff Bott to Turkey Run. Both Monica &
Jovan continued inviting various friends through the mid-1990s
and in essence, lit the fire of the torch that would eventually
be passed to the Second Generation in 2003. However, it was Jovans
judgment in extending an invitation to then college roommate,
Scott Berger in 1998 that proved to be pivotal; Opening the door
for the incredible growth of the Second Generation into a new
network of friends and families that, along with Monicas
group of friends, were to drive the strength of Serb Fest well
into the 21st Century! For those of us who are directly related
to this network, we pay great respects to Jovan and his dedication
to Serb Fest. His passion has been infectious and its proven by
the continued success of Serb Fest!
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Scott
Berger :: Senior Founding Member
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 1998
Recruited by :: Jovan Zelenkovich
Family
:: Julie Berger (Wife), Grant Berger, (Son), Carter Berger
(Son), Jeff Berger (Brother), Erin
Berger (Sister-in-law), Eloise Berger (Neice), Hazel Berger (Neice),
Graham Berger (Nephew)
Notable
Recruits :: Jeff
Heitzman, Brian Crissie, Jeff
Berger, Arpan Desai, Mike
Z
Scott
Bergers first official trip to Serb Fest was in 1998, but
it is important to note that his being invited to Turkey Run that
year was almost an act of destiny. Fortunately, he was familiar
with Turkey Run because of a weekend spent camping at the Cherokee
Village Campground, just around the corner from Turkey Run State
Park, the previous summer. The Cherokee Village Campground would
once again come into play when the group spent a night there for
Turkey Run Observed in August 2001. The fact that he had in fact
been familiar with TR made him an immediate candidate for beginning
a new wave of non-Serbian males at Turkey Run. Beginning a new
chapter in his life, Jovan was most certainly growing apart from
his High School friend-base that had been accompanying Jovan to
TR through the mid-1990s. Had it not been for Scotts
familiarity with Turkey Run and his enthusiastic acceptance of
Jovans invitation, it is very well possible that the tradition
of Jovan bringing friends to TR would have fallen by the wayside.
As his parents and the other First Generation attendees parted
ways with TR, it is possible that so too would have Jovan - leading
to the eventual would-be demise of Serb Fest. Fortunately, all
we can do is speculate on the would have beens...
Scott attended in 1998 - And since, alongside Jovan, he has played
a big role in facilitating the continued growth of the Second
Generation. He has yet to miss a trip to Turkey Run including
2001 when instead of waiting for the rescheduled August trip,
he forged on carrying the torch and assembling a small rookie
team behind him, joining the elders for a historic weekend around
the grill. It is after this trip, that Scott earned Founding Member
status for his brave venture.
MORE>
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OLAF
:: Founding Member
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 1998
Recruited by :: Jovan Zelenkovich
Family
:: Julie L (Wife), Sarah L (Daughter), Jack L (Son), Jimmy
L (Son)
Notable
Recruits :: Steve Luke, Sean
Sullivan
OLAF
has to drive. This is an ongoing rule, though somehow, he
was able to avoid driving from TR 2003 to 2006. OLAF has been
a fixture at Turkey Run since modern day Fire & Ice began.
He's been in attendance every year since 1998 with the exception
of 1999 & 2006. TR 99 was missed because of his then location
in Los Angeles for a summer internship. Today, we wouldn't accept
that as an excuse, but at the time, we went easy on young OLAF.
In 2006, OLAF was welcoming his daughter Sarah into the world.
TR 2008 marks her debut at TR and the first child of the second
generation of TR attendees.
Nobody pounds beers like OLAF.... NOBODY.... but we plan for that
and everybody's happy. OLAF's greatest contribution to the list
of traditions at Turkey Run is the initiation of Bocce Ball in
2001. He was immediately given the responsibility of bringing
the Bocce set each year, but managed to forget it the very next
year. Thankfully we were able to hunt down a replacement set at
a local Indiana po-dunk department store (see photo below).
OLAF
is also responsible for the ridiculous pose during the hike of
TR 2003 that has become the official symbol of Turkey Run. We
are all still bewildered at what possessed his body to take such
an awkward position, but none the less, it has become a beloved
moment in TR history!
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Jeff
Heitzman :: Councilman
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 1999
Recruited by :: Jovan Zelenkovich
& Scott Berger
Family
:: Amy Heitzman (Wife), Ethan Heitzman (Son)
Nutz
has developed a storied past since first attending in 1999. In
his first year of attendance, he infamously forgot to bring hiking
shoes and instead hiked in sandals. This proved to
be challenging, but not impossible! He was also directly involved
with the near death of another infamous TR 1999 attendee in challenging
him to consume 2 Twinkies in less than a minute. If not for the
half-finished can of Mountain Dew left behind by Scott Berger
in the back of the Zelenkovich van, we may have seen a fatal conclusion
to that challenge. 3 years later, he not only earned himself the
first ever demerit for forgetting about Turkey Run in 2002, but
paved the way for his receipt of the first ever "Most Improved"
Award in 2003 - the now pre-established goal for anyone who receives
a demerit at TR. Contributing to his Most Improved
title in 2003, was his proclamation of Serb Fest as a weekend
of Fire & Ice. This of course would become a theme and
subtitle of the Second Generations take on Serb Fest and
would ultimately become immortalized as the title for the 2004
DVD release documenting TR 2003. Now, having had perfect attendance
since his controversial absent-mindedness, he's finally shedding
the dark-cloud image that has been hanging over his head for so
long. He's been an active participant and a fine representation
of the Tenets of Turkey Run for
nearly a decade now! He's proving why one day, he will surely
gain Founding Member status! Let his story be an inspiration to
anyone who finds him or herself on the dark side.
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Brian
Kelley :: Councilman
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 2000
Recruited by :: Jovan Zelenkovich
Big
Shit, once known as the guy who seemingly dreaded going to Turkey
Run until actually there, now sings a different tune. Today, he
looks forward to nothing more than digging into his first plate
of cevapcici at Turkey Run each year! In 2002, BS was witnessed
consuming a Heineken with dinner on his own free will, generally
the first time most of us had witnessed his consumption of beer.
It was a shocking, yet proud moment for many of us. Today, many
would find it hard to imagine, but weve certainly seen great
evolution in our friend BS! In 2007 Big Shit respectfully requested
to shed his nickname for anything not referencing bathroom related
activities. It's been challenging, but some have made an effort
to refrain from using his former nickname. This of course is nearly
impossible and is generally mocked after the consumption of 6
or more beers. On a serious note, Brian is one of the few attendees
in recent memory to have not missed a TR (aside from the accepted
sabbatical of TR 01) following their first year of attendance.
TR 2009 marked Brians 10th (unofficial) straight year of
attendance! There was some concern leading up to TR 2010 that
Brian would opt out of attendance to travel the world, but in
somewhat of an act of destiny, plans did not materialize and his
attendance streak remained active!
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Jeff
Berger :: Councilman
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 2001
Recruited by :: Scott Berger
Family
:: Erin Berger (Wife), Eloise Berger (Daughter), Hazel Berger
(Daughter), Graham Berger (Son), Scott
Berger (Brother), Julie Berger (Sister-in-law), Grant Berger
(Nephew), Carter Berger (Nephew), Brian O'Kelly (Brother-in-law)
Notable
Recruits :: Brian O'Kelly
Krangis
made his Turkey Run debut as part of the skeleton crew of TR 2001.
Alongside his brother Scott, he experienced Serb Fest at its finest
- from the trip to DSD Delicatessen to dining alongside the elder
Serbian crowd to being witness to the initiation of the original
Indian Head Dress. With the exception of 2009, he has been in
attendance every year since. In 2003, Krangis set out to document
our heralded weekend at TR on film and in May of 2004, released
"Fire & Ice Extravaganza", a 43 minute intimate
look into a pivotal year at Turkey Run one in which the
torch had seemingly been passed to the next generation of attendees.
In May of 2006, with unprecedented anticipation, a Special Edition
version of the documentary was released along with a Bonus Disc
full of additional features, commentary, and most notably, a recap
of TR 2004. Krangis's involvement with TR DVD releases is no doubt
his shining contribution to Serb Fests past and future and will
forever be a big part of his legacy at TR.
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Brian
Crissie :: Councilman
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 2001
Recruited by :: Scott Berger
Notable
Recruits :: Vince Kus
Brian
Crissie, known by most simply as, CR, made his Turkey Run debut
as part of the skeleton crew of TR 2001. Alongside Scott Berger
and fellow first time attendee, Krangis, he experienced Serb Fest
at its finest - from the trip to DSD Delicatessen to dining alongside
the elder Serbian crowd to being witness to the initiation of
the original Indian Head Dress. He also witnessed one the finest
quotes in TR history, being on the receiving end of Mr. Zs
instruction of "You eat, or you're out!" You couldn't
ask for a better introduction to TR! It was enough to bring him
back to TR 01 Observed and TR 02. While he briefly lost "General
Participant" status in 2003, he was able to regain the title
in 2004 and has ultimately gained Councilman status after going
well out of his way to make an abbreviated appearance at TR 05
due to the funeral of his Grandmother that same weekend. Today,
he can be counted on year after year to provide his hunting knife,
hatchet, and affinity for starting fires to the weekend's festivities.
Hes also becoming somewhat of an unofficial photographer
of Serb Fest, building an impressive portfolio of TR photography
in recent years!
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Rishi
Loona :: Councilman
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 2003
Recruited by :: Jovan Zelenkovich
Rishi
initially made his mark on Serb Fest before he even touched the
blessed soils of Turkey Run! He single handedly raised the bar
by traveling all the way from Charlotte, NC for his first trip
to TR in 2003 (the bar was raised slightly higher in 2004 with
the attendance of a rookie from Raleigh, NC). After his early
on-again, off-again of attendance record, Rishi has established
himself as a consistant and expected attendee year after year.
He has etched himself into the fabric of TR and the group always
looks forward to his manning of the grill, especially after dark!
Rishi has proven time and time again that he embodies the true
spirit of Serb Fest and is exemplory of that year round!
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Dave
R :: Councilman
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 2005
Recruited by :: Jovan Zelenkovich
Family
:: Bryanne R (Wife), Adeline R (Daughter), Louis R (Son)
Dave
R made his TR debut in 2005 earning himself both Rookie of the
Year and Intellectual of the Year honors. Dave has always been
among those who have exhibited the most Serb Fest spirit - especially
in the off season. He's been known to proactively start dialog
on upcoming TR's as early as January providing the spark for the
proverbial flame that keeps us warm in the frigid cold nights
of winter as we wait in anticipation for the warmth of the May
sun. In recent years, Dave has also taken it upon himself to provide
a variety of meats including Hamburgers, Brats, and other unmentionable
sausages with tough skin that have affectionately become known
as "R Mystery Sausages". He has most definitely become
a true fixture at TR and we hope to have him and his family with
us for many years to come!
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Mike
Z :: General Participant
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 2008
Recruited by :: Scott Berger |
Julie Berger
Family
:: Amy Z (Wife), Anna Z (Daughter), Kate Z (Daughter), Callen
Z (Son)
Mike
made his TR debut in 2008 and captured Rookie of the Year honors.
His quick witted humor worked well within the group and managed
to nickname himself "FM" within hours of the start of
the weekend. It's no coincidence that this also occurred after
consuming several beers with Crazy Dan. After a year off in 2009,
Mike and his family returned in 2010 and picked up where he left
off, adding an unusual, but much appreciated brand of humor to
any conversation. While in 2008 he came away being nicknamed "FM",
2010 yeilded an even more eyebrow raising nickname - "BM".
Folks - pay attention - this is how you secure back to back Intellectual
of the Year honors! After a several year hiatus, Mike and Family
returned to TR in 2018 and we hope to see them back as regulars
in the future!
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Erich
Mann :: General Participant
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 2013
Recruited by :: Dave R & Scott
Berger
Family
:: Lauren Mann (Wife), Henry Mann (Son), Vivien Mann (Daughter),
Vikki Ecker (Sister), Maddie Ecker (Niece), Joey Ecker (Nephew),
Joe Ecker (Brother in law), Scott Berger
(Cousin), Jeff Berger (Cousin)
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Joe
Ecker :: General Participant
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 2017
Recruited by :: Scott Berger, Erich
Mann
Family
:: Vikki Ecker (Wife), Maddie Ecker (Daughter), Joey Ecker
(Son), Erich Mann (Brother in law), Lauren Mann (Sister in law),
Henry Mann (Nephew), Vivien Mann (Neice)
Joe's
proven to be a valuable source of grit within the group. He's
quick witted and not afraid to pound a beer. What more can you
really ask for in a fellow TR attendee??
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Mark
Decker :: General Participant
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 2016
Recruited by :: Julie Berger
Family
:: Katie Shannon, Cameron Decker (Son), Aaron Decker (Son)
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Charlie
Ruiz :: Past Participant
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 2003
Recruited by :: Jovan Zelenkovich
Charlie
Ruiz also made his TR debut in 2003, and while his experience
could have been spoiled by Jovan's lack of accommodation to the
rookie, he made the most of the weekend! While his presence at
Turkey Run has been sorely missed during his 2005-2008 hiatus,
we were beyond excited to have him return to Turkey Run in 2009.
Chuckles (sorry) has proven to be among the most active of all
attendees in the TR Community. He is responsible for the inception
of Serb Fest's Facebook Group and has fostered continued dialog
on all things TR in the many months between our hallowed annual
trips.
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Brian
O'Kelly :: Past Participant
Serb
Fest Origin :: Zelenkovich Family
First Serb Fest :: 2010
Recruited by :: Jeff Berger
Family
:: Erin Berger (Sister), Jeff Berger (Brother-in-law), Eloise
Berger (Neice), Hazel Berger (Neice)
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