LILLIAN TRIPPE MEMORIAL SHAVE, NORTHWEST STRING SUMMIT - Pendant Donation 2019

In 2011, a beautiful tradition began at Northwest String Summit. It all started with Lilli Trippe, a little girl who loved music, dancing, and Yonder Mountain String Band. For most of her short life, Lilli fiercely battled childhood cancer. In July of 2011, just a few days before her 4th birthday, Lilli passed away. Every year on String Summit Sunday, we honor our little friend Lilli. 💗 

This will be the third year Twice Upon a String is donating to the Sunday auction at Northwest String Summit. This pendant pendant was played by YMSB (Adam Aijala and Dave Johnston) with Pink Opal and a painted owl. Proceeds support Chelsea’s Closet, a local nonprofit that inspires hope and healing through dress up and therapeutic play, giving seriously ill children the opportunity to dance like princesses and fly like superheroes.

Below are some recent heartfelt and beautiful words from Lilli’s mom, Kristin.

“Yonder Mountain String Band was on their Cabin Fever Tour, and each day Jeff would stop the show, and ask the crowd to think about our Lilli while they were dancing. And while they are feeling those feels, he’d ask the crowd to throw just a touch of that magical energy in the air and form this enormous bubble of love. At the end of the night they sent that bubble west, straight to Lil. And there, while Aaron and I were sitting in the PICU, that energy would arrive. Lilli's heart rate would move towards normal. Her breathing would improve and our hope would exponentially expand. And I would lie next to Lil and tell her not to breathe. I’d tell her that there are machines to breathe for her. Not to work hard, that there are medicines to work hard for her. Instead I‘d tell her that all she had to do was just hold on. That every ounce of love and strength and healing that she needed to get through this awful spot surrounded her. All she had to do was grab it and use it to heal. And heal she did.

After Lilli was discharged from that long hospital stay, Yonder Mountain String Band gave her (and us) all their love and support. The band and crew filled up the green room with balloons and bubbles and toys for Lilli. They played her song. They made her feel like a super star. They opened up their hearts, their families, and their lives. They gave us hope. Even when hope meant hoping that even though Lilli wouldn't survive, that she would live every day until she died. They helped make that a reality. Their fans, our Kinfolk family, did the same.

After Lilli died, Yonder Mountain String Band gave us the best gift ever. The ability to live WITH Lilli, even though Lilli was gone. By celebrating her at the Northwest String Summit . By dressing in pink. By raising money. By remembering her. Every single year.”