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“Indiana Stands with Ukraine” Gained National and Local Support
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Gained National and Local Support
Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Submitted
A special celebrity concert benefit was held on Saturday, October 1, in support of Ukrainian refugees who have crossed and continue to cross over the Ukrainian and Polish border in seek of humanitarian aid. The event in Indianapolis raised a remarkable total of $41,202.70.
With the help of the event committee and our sponsors, this event quickly evolved into a significant affair that featured internationally renowned singer and actor Franc D’Ambrosio accompanied by Stephanie Lynne Smith as the concert’s headliners. The funds raised have contributed to the combined total that has been raised by D’Ambrosio since he began fundraising on behalf of the Dominican Friars, who have been offering humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
LOCAL AND NATIONAL TALENTS FEATURED
The concert also featured local artists and talents: Don Farrell accompanied by Terry Woods, Artistic Director Alyona Yakovleva-Randall and the Indiana Ballet Conservatory and a special “surprise” recorded performance by celebrity singer/songwriter John Ondrasik with Five for Fighting.
The fundraiser was hosted at the private residence of Mr. Ryan and Mrs. Amy Wright of Indianapolis and included small plates featuring both American and authentic Ukrainian fare — prepared by Lena and Amy’s mothers and culinary professionals Valentyna Osinnia and Teri Uhrig.
There was a live auction of some remarkable and hard-to-obtain items and 100 percent of the event proceeds went to the Dominican Friars, who are on the front lines offering food, shelter, medical and mental health care to Ukrainian refugees and their children.
The Dominican Friars have an established 501(c)(3) set up, and all of the donations made to their website are being used to provide humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian refugees in their care.
Some friars have converted parishes into oncology wards and are providing both physical and mental health care to those who are in desperate need.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
The “Indiana Stands with Ukraine” fundraiser is an ongoing fundraiser, and we hope that many of our friends and associates will continue to support this important cause and the friars’ extraordinary work and for Ukrainian refugees.
My publisher, Lena Lucas, is from Kyiv, Ukraine, and still has family abroad. Through her lens, I have gained a perspective on the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the genocide that is ongoing — I personally cannot turn a cheek to this. This is not a political issue — it is a humanitarian crisis where men, women and children are being annihilated, but they refuse to lay down their arms and hoist a white flag. The Ukrainian people continue to fight for their very existence.
My publishers, Neil and Lena Lucas, myself and our extremely dedicated committee are committed to continue raising as much awareness and monetary support as possible.
Donations made to the Dominican Friars’ fund can be made for any amount, day or night, 365 days a year. Please consider donating to the Dominican Friars website at https://opwest.org/ indianadonation.
Together, we can help save and improve the lives of Ukrainians who are fighting for their freedom and their futures.
Simply put, this event would not have been possible without the generosity and energy of our sponsors and performers. On behalf of the fundraiser committee, I would like to acknowledge the following:
NEAL BURNETT AND KAREN BRABENDER OF INDIANAPOLIS:
Neal Burnett, Karen Brabender and their seven children and three grandchildren, along with Wilson the chocolate Labrador, are all native to Indiana. Neal and Karen both own and work together in a commercial development company in downtown Indy. They have completed many notable projects in central Indiana over the past 35 years. One more recent project is the New Back 9 golf and entertainment facility located in downtown Indy adjacent to the Lucas Oil stadium. Back 9 is a state-of-theart golf and entertainment facility where one can enjoy playing golf courses and different games while in the comfort of one of the 75 available bays. Back 9 features more than four bars and dining experiences, along with a full music pavilion and balconies that can fit 700–800 guests for some of the best music performances Indy has to offer. Neal and Karen both lead very active lives enjoying family, social gatherings, tennis and many outdoor activities together. They especially like being involved in helping our community here but also abroad advance and thrive. Visit
back9golf.com for more information.
CARMEL MONTHLY AND ZIONSVILLE MONTHLY:
Publishers Neil and Lena Lucas are the owners and publishers of Carmel’s and Zionsville’s premier lifestyle magazines and have been publishing in these communities for nearly a decade. The Lucases and head writer Janelle Morrison publish
stories on the communities’ arts, education, business, nonprofit, government and community affairs as they impact the lives of the residents and business owners. Visit carmelmonthlymagazine.com
and zionsvillemonthlymagazine.com.
RYAN AND AMY WRIGHT:
Ryan is a bankruptcy attorney in Indianapolis, Indiana (bankruptcybyphone. com), and fronts the band Dean Martini. Amy is a partner with Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. The Wrights are avid supporters of the arts and staunch advocates for humanitarian efforts both locally and abroad.
HOTEL CARMICHAEL:
Hotel Carmichael, an Autograph Collection Hotel, is located in the heart of the Carmel City Center. This greater Indianapolis hotel offers modern accommodations located next to the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts, one of the greatest music halls of its time. Visit
hotelcarmichael.com. PIANO SOLUTIONS – CARMEL:
Piano Solutions in Carmel prides itself on offering not only the best pianos available today but also a thorough understanding of the instruments it sells and services.
Today, it is Indiana’s largest provider of new and used pianos, digital pianos, hybrid pianos, organs and keyboards, with an extensive collection of pianos from all over the world. Visit Piano Solutions at
pianosolutions.net.
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Back Home Again!
Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Laura Arick and submitted
For more than 30 years, the Carmel High School Choir Department has been presenting its annual Holiday Spectacular as a gift to the Carmel Community. We are pleased to feature on our cover this exciting performance that features more than 450 performers singing and dancing and delivers a huge helping of the holiday spirit! The past few years have been unusual with COVID-19 restrictions and auditorium renovations, but Carmel Monthly is excited to announce that this year’s Holiday Spectacular will finally be back on stage in the newly renovated Dale E. Graham Auditorium!
The 2022 show “Peace, Love, Joy” is sure to lift your spirits and prepare you for an exciting holiday season filled with exactly what the title of the show promises … a newfound sense of peace, a reminder of the love that we all share and the overpowering joy that we all receive from this time of togetherness, renewal and rebirth.
WORKING THROUGH THE CHALLENGES
The renovation and expansion of the CHS performing arts space has been ongoing since 2020 and was necessary to not only meet current ADA compliance but to house the performing arts programs and classes that have more than doubled since the original space was completed in 1993. The renovations will provide an additional 17,000 square feet to the performing arts complex and will include additional large, shared ensemble/rehearsal rooms, classrooms, storage space and the renovations to the Dale E. Graham Auditorium.
CHS Director of Choirs Kathrine Kouns shared with us what the last few years have been like for the performing arts department as a whole and the toll that the pandemic and construction/ renovations have had specifically on the annual Holiday Spectacular shows and the choir department’s bottom line.
“Any kind of construction or renovation is extraordinarily challenging, whether it’s your bathroom or a huge project like this,” Kouns said. “That being said, the nature of what we do in the performing arts department … we have huge classes and manage many more students than are in a regular classroom. We also have unique needs, as far as risers, acoustic treatments and things that are just not found in regular classrooms. It has been very challenging, and we’ve had to move a couple of times in the process, and we don’t expect to be fully moved into the renovated choir room spaces until probably August of next year. But that’s OK, because having the performance space really does make a huge difference.”
Kouns added, “There’s just something different about being able to perform on a stage in an actual auditorium with lighting and sound and everything that is set up for a performing arts show. It’s a very different atmosphere, and sadly, the majority of our students have never performed in our auditorium or had a
single concert in there. We’ve been out [of the space] because of COVID and then the renovations.”
In the absence of concerts and a traditional Holiday Spectacular experience with ticketed seats, Kouns shared how they have worked through the past few years in spite of the loss of revenue from ticket sales.
“It has been challenging, but we didn’t want the tradition to die because we didn’t have an auditorium,” Kouns shared. “And I’m really proud to say that even though we weren’t able to bring in the revenue that we usually do from our shows, we have not raised our student fees. We’re working really hard at fundraising and finding corporate sponsors, so we’re really hopeful that with this show coming up and having all of the concessions, silent auction, flowers, etc. back again, that will help our budget and get us out of the basement, where it [budget] has been the last few years.” renovation, and we will still have the balcony seating available.”
Kouns also mentioned that as part of the upgrades, the orchestra pit now has a “pit filler” that creates an extension of the stage and allows the performers to get much closer to the audience, providing more performance space on the stage. She also pointed out that due to supply chain issues, there will be touch-ups and minor installations over the next few months but that these won’t have an impact on the experience of the Holiday Spectacular performances or on the comfort of the audience members.
NEWLY RENOVATED AND READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Kouns previewed some of the details of the newly renovated auditorium and some of the additions and upgrades that will be enjoyed by its audiences and performers alike.
“I will say that at first glance it might not appear drastically different,” Kouns explained. “There are some aesthetic treatments that will look different, and all of the seating is new. There are all new acoustic treatments hanging on both the walls and the ceiling, a new sound system and soundboard, and the stage has been completely resurfaced. We did lose seats because of ADA compliance requirements, and we’ll take a little hit on ticket sales, but we still have approximately 1200 seats — I haven’t received the final seating chart yet — and that’s still a large theater and will work for us really well. The seating layout will be similar to what it was before the
KEEP A CLOSE EYE OUT FOR TICKET SALE ANNOUNCEMENTS!
The Holiday Spectacular is a longstanding tradition for many local families and former CHS students and has traditionally sold out. Given that it will be returning to its home in the Dale E. Graham Auditorium, it will likely sell out quickly. Kouns and the entire CHS Performing Arts Department staff are awaiting the final seating chart with assigned seat numbers before she can make the ticket link for this year’s Holiday Spectacular live. She encourages everyone to keep an eye on their social media accounts and visit the CHS website for updates!
Additionally, like in prior years, there will be community giveback opportunities at each of the performances benefiting local nonprofits in the local and central Indiana communities.
Kouns added, “We hope that you will join us for this year’s ‘welcome home’ event, which will take place from November 30 through December 4 with performances at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings, as well as 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Go to www.carmelchoirs.org for more information coming soon!”
