Jim LyonsThis is one of the hardest messages I’ve ever had to write. But I wanted all of Busker Nation to know that Jim Lyons, my close pal and Street Music Week’s tireless co-leader, passed away this morning at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
I’m shocked and beyond devastated. Jimmy was the most caring guy I’ve ever known, full of good humor and always willing to help anyone in need. I don’t have many details, but Jim told me a few days ago that he’d been quite ill for the last month. Street Music Week brought Jim and me together in 2003, the first year our charity event went public. Jimmy never left, working year after year to see the event raise more than $300,000 to help feed the hungry via 2ndHarvest food bank. My heart goes out to Jim’s family and his many, many friends. He was so loved and appreciated. Doug Clark 
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
The 20th annual Street Music Week (June 13-17) was a blast, and a successful blast at that. Results may still be coming in. But as of now, we raised $27,545 for 2nd Harvest Inland Northwest food bank to continue feeding the hungry. This year’s total equates to roughly 138,000 meals. How cool is that? Bravo to you buskers who shared talents on the sidewalks of downtown Spokane, the historic Garland District and Coeur d’Alene’s Sherman Ave. Adding to the amazement is that we reached our total despite the cold wet weather that occurred during the first two days. Yikes! Kudos to those brave performers who turned out on Monday and Tuesday. Who knew Spokane had a monsoon season? Thanks again to those good and faithful souls who take care of the SMW administrative duties. I’m talking about… Jimmy “de facto CEO” Lyons. He always goes above and beyond, making sure the event is sanctified by The City via mayoral decree. Speaking of which, he arranged for a sidewalk hug and handshake from Mayor Nadine Woodward. Jimmy, my right-hand amigo for 19 years, also adeptly handled an early morning TV interview, distributed red buckets and posters to Garland and Coeur d’Alene and took care of money transfers. Julie Shepard-Hall once again kept the event humming so smoothly in the Garland District that she deserves the nickname Julie Garland. Carey Eyer again worked his magic on our SMW Facebook page, which is open year-round for posting videos, posting comments and giving donations to 2nd Harvest. Jenny Wayman again ran the show for Coeur d’Alene’s 10thannual event. Great job! And what can I say about my longtime amigo and that Spokane treasure known as Charlie Schmidt? He designed this year’s poster and busker badge. Then he transformed himself into a turban-domed swami known as Mr. Mystic, handing out fortune cookies to perplexed pedestrians who donated to his red bucket. Please do this again next year. Thanks as usual to Kathy Hedgecock, director of philanthropy for 2nd Harvest. She keeps track of our donation numbers and is always a text or a phone call away. And a special shoutout to my friend John Huckabay who again helped boost our total with another very generous check. Thanks for believing in us! This 20th anniversary was truly special for another important reason. We shot well past the $300,000 milestone in donations accumulated since I began this as a solo act back in 2002. My apologies if I've left anyone out. And so… See you on the sidewalks next year! Doug Clark |
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