I opted to not attend the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival 2019. Ironically, I missed 2009 too but for different reasons.
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Ron with Bonnaroo Chris totem in 2019
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A huge shout out to my friend, Ron. Ron has been to the festival several times and when he found out I wasn't going to make it, he created a totem of me that he carried around the entire time. I kept getting photos and video of people with the totem and it made my day every time.
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| Bonnaroo Chris totem at the TWLOHA booth 2019 |
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| Bonnaroo Chris totem with a Roovian 2019 |
There were several factors in my decision but the biggest was that I started volunteering for a charity called
ONETrack International that works to provide long term support to orphans around the world.
In August of 2019, I had the honor to deploy with the charity's volunteer team to Africa. We orchestrated a site visit at an orphanage in Zimbabwe where I captured everything via photos and video.
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| Chris in Africa with ONETrack International |
After completing the work, the team took a backpacking trip through Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia. It was an extraordinary trip to a part of the world I might not otherwise see. The sights included Victoria Falls, a safari in the Chobe National Park and a ferry that crosses the only international intersection of four countries in the world: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Please check out
www.onetrackinternational.org and support the cause if you think it's important.
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| ONETrack International in Zimbabwe 2019 |
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| Chris Alexander taking photos for OTI in 2019 |
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| Chris at Victoria Falls 2019 |
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| Elephant at Chobe National Park, Botswana 2019 |
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| The team at the Kazungula Ferry crossing 2019 |
Volunteering is a big part of my life. I've gone to Bonnaroo four times now as a volunteer and that has made the festival an even better experience for me. If you have the time and energy, I highly recommend finding one or more organizations whose missions speak to you and look into being a volunteer. It can be quite fulfilling to help your fellow humans.
I hope those of you who attended Bonnaroo 2019 had a great time and kept the positivity alive! I'm looking forward to returning to The Farm.
#bonnaroo #roolife #ron #volunteering #globalorphancrisis #charity #giveback
