#FreePanda

After an incredible weekend down at Paradise Blue in Cancún with our WHOLE festival fam, our amazing friend Panda got detained by customs during his layover in Chicago.

He was pulled into an empty room with no explanation and then texted one of our friends to update. We had not heard from him through the night and into the next day, and decided we had to call his dad to see if he had any information.

His dad said he had to call the Chicago Police Department, as Panda was unable to make a single phone call until dinnertime the next day. He had decided to call when Panda hadn't gotten home on time, and found out he had been detained. He is currently being held in the county jail until he can be transferred to Virginia, which could take up to 30 days - an entire month after Paradise Blue.

So why is he there? The warrant was for a bar fight that had occurred 3 YEARS AGO that had ended with no serious injuries. He also had absolutely no idea about this warrant. Neither him nor his family had received any sort of paperwork regarding the matter, and his attorney found no evidence of the warrant.

When we finally got in contact with him, we asked what we could do to make the situation a little easier. All he asked was if we could find a way to help with his court fees, so here we are doing exactly that. We all know how terrible that post-fest depression can be, and feel completely terrible that he has to spend it in an uncomfortable place alone. We want to show him just how loved he is, and hope the Paradise Blue Family will help us come together and spread that love just a little further.