July 15, 2009 — Stepping back from the first annual Nickapalooza and taking a few minutes to reflect on the significance of the day brings tears to my eyes. Yes, some of those tears are from sadness….missing Nick’s smile, realizing that we’ll never hug him again while on this earth, and all of those other things we are feeling deep in our hearts as we grieve Nick’s absence. However, many of my tears are tears of joy……knowing Nick had the best seat in the house for every band’s performance on Saturday, seeing friends from all aspects of Nick’s life joined together to share life and laugh, hearing the message of the love of God being carried through the air by band after band.

Nickapalooza actually received its name from a benefit concert that was done for our family at Kentucky Christian University over two and a half years ago while Nick was undergoing aggressive chemo. However, when the Nicholas Yancy Nischan Foundation was established after Nick passed away, Melissa Brooks (a board member), had the idea of turning Nickapalooza into an annual music festival right here in Carter County.

So, for the past six months, work has been going on behind the scenes through emails, phone calls, and lots of meetings in order to kick-off Nickapalooza this summer!

An exact count for the day was not possible, but based on estimates throughout the day of people coming and going the attendance appeared to be at least 200 people! Twelve bands performed. Some of these bands were local: Music began at noon when The Regeneration, with Gateway Church of Christ’s worship minister Tracy Tooley as their lead singer, took the stage and had everyone swaying to the music! The Young and the Righteous, with lead singer Brittany Sparks, was a huge hit! Madison, Britt’s niece, did an amazing job adding sign language to one of the songs. What Drives the Weak and Not One is Upright rocked the stage with some very heavy Christian rock in the late afternoon. Chad Serhal and Wendy West both performed as soloists early in the day, and I can still hear the sound of their voices floating through the air as the crowd participated in corn hole games, volley ball tournaments, and cupcake walks. Meet Your Maker, a KCU band, proved to have the potential of following in the footsteps of a past KCU band, Audio Adrenaline. The Band of Brothers, a band consisting of four talented men from Oak Grove Church of Christ, jammed their way through a half hour of praise and worship that had many people clapping and singing along. Out of town bands included, Eyes Upon Us, with lead singer Chris Cool (son of George and Terri Waggoner); One Day Remains, a band that traveled all the way from Virginia to spend their first-ever weekend in Kentucky; Sons of Thunder from Huntington took the stage late in the day and grabbed everyone’s attention with the blowing of a shofar to begin their performance; our final band was Live Fish from Somerset, Kentucky. This band, as well as several others, can be heard online by googling their band name. They had the crowd on their feet jumping with the music, swaying their arms, and singing along at the top of their lungs until nearly 11 p.m.

Several organizations were able to benefit from the day as well! The ECHS boy’s soccer team raised money for new uniforms; the ECHS band’s color guard did the same. Little Blessings Daycare had a bake sale throughout the day and hopes to have another one on Main Street this week sometime. Wilson Creek Baptist Church did face painting and sold everything from silly string to neon light sticks. Their proceeds were given to Nick’s foundation. Borders and Beyond Mission Team helped by selling cotton candy and sno-cones. Our goal for this year was to offer a day of fellowship to the community, have a celebration of God’s never-ending love, and be able to cover the cost of all of our expenses (sound, insurance, food, advertising, etc.). T-shirts are still available for $10 each by contacting me at tammynischan@gmail.com. We believe that in the end we are going to be able to say that in all ways this day was a huge success.

Rain never stopped the day’s events. Bands played right through the torrential downpours as the crowd huddled under umbrellas and tents. Just like life, the rain reminded me that even in our dark valleys we have to press on: leaning on our friends and gaining our protective covering from the shelter of God’s love and faithfulness. Honestly, without the rain, I’m not so sure that the day would have been as memorable. In life, our rainy seasons are the same. They may not be as fun at the time. They may make us uncomfortable and even cause us to want to quit. But it’s in the rainy times that we realize we’re not alone and that we have someone over us. Who can keep us warm and safe until the storms of life pass. Looking back on the stormy seasons of our life eventually can bring smiles if we remember the special memories made along the way.

Nickapalooza will happen again in 2010. It will be bigger and even better. We are even hoping to add an extra day of worship with onsite camping for those who want to stay and fellowship together!

Thank you to area businesses who helped us make the day a huge success: Commercial Bank of Grayson, Randy’s Roadside Market, KCU’s Pioneer Food Service, Papa John’s Pizza, All-American Graphics, Farmer’s Hardware, Ralph’s Supermarket, and many more.

Carter County is a special place filled with wonderful people who love the Lord and want to serve Him with all of their hearts. We feel blessed to call it our home. Thank you to each of you who have walked the painful road of suffering and loss with our family. We love you all so much!