GEORGE Lindstrom

George

was a Blue Knights Hall of Famer and long-time supporter of the pageantry arts. He and his wife Lynn managed Ascend Events for over 30 years, overseeing plans for Drums Along the Rockies and Corps Encore, along with the Friendship Cup series of marching band competitions, which , due to George’s vision, now involve over 1,000 high school band participants annually.

In 1992, thanks to the efforts of George and Lynn, WGI expanded to include percussion as a part of the “Sport of the Arts” which enabled the creation of the Blue Knights Percussion Ensemble (BKPE); the longest-running Percussion Independent World group in WGI with 4-WGI Championships and 22 Rocky Mountain Percussion Ensemble State Championship titles. BKPE was also the first WGI group affiliated with a DCI drum corps. The expansion and growth of WGI is directly due to the vision of George who is responsible for the creation of both the WGI Percussion and Marching Band divisions. George served as Contest Manager for the World Championships, strategic planning consultant and tireless volunteer.

George’s presence, vision and unflinching, passionate drive will be sorely missed. Ascend Performing Arts and the Blue Knights programs have been made possible largely because of George’s leadership, passion for the activity and vision of the future. Our organization is stronger and serves more youth than ever before thanks to his efforts and dedication.