Cleveland Magazine - November 2024

GRIEF EVERLASTING

Samaria Rice Pushes for Progress While Never Forgetting Tamir 10 Years Later

THE BIG 3-0

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse’s Biggest Moments Since Opening in 1994

PIZZA PASSION For

Fueling Ohio yesterday, today — and tomorrow

Enbridge Gas Ohio focuses on safety, environmental sustainability and reliability to ultimately provide many benefits to the communities and customers it serves in Ohio.

Who we are

Operating in 43 states and headquartered in Calgary, Canada, Enbridge delivers energy through its wide network of natural gas and oil transmission pipelines, natural gas utilities and renewable power generation operations, including wind and solar.

The company moves about 30% of the crude oil produced in North America and transports nearly 20% of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.

Throughout 2024, Enbridge acquired Dominion Energy Ohio (1.2 million customers), along with Questar Gas (about 1.2 million customers across Utah and parts of southwestern Wyoming and Idaho) and the Public Service Company of North Carolina (more than 650,000 customers across 28 counties).

“We’re both companies focused on safely and reliably serving our

customers, so we think this is a great marriage,” says Dan Weekley, vice president and general manager of Enbridge’s gas distribution and storage in Ohio. “We’re learning from them and they’re learning from us, and we’re challenging each other on best practices and how to best serve the customer.”

However, the company’s footprint in Ohio is nothing new.

Weekley says Enbridge Gas Ohio (EGO) has been serving citizens in Ohio for more than 125 years, with a service territory of about 35 counties across 1.2 million customer accounts — in other words, around 4.8 million Ohioans.

Enbridge Gas Ohio boasts 22,000 miles of transmission, gathering and distribution pipelines, underground storage and interconnections to multiple interstate pipelines and large natural gas producers. Enbridge Gas Ohio’s service territory expands from

Northeast Ohio toward Marietta and even to the Indiana border. The EGO workforce adds about 1,500 employees to the 12,000 workers Enbridge employed pre-acquisition.

“We play such a crucial role in economic development,” Weekley says. “We hear all the time from companies looking to expand into Northeast Ohio that affordable and reliable energy is a crucial factor and community leaders and economic development organizations say they’re happy with our service, happy with the cost of it and happy with how we serve our customers.”

What we do

The easiest way to think of EGO, Weekley says, is as a transporter of gas. “Most residential customers have the ability to choose where they get their

Our responsibilities go beyond just the safe delivery of gas to our customers. We encourage our employees to be involved in their communities and be the eyes and ears.

Dan Weekley, Vice President and General Manager, Enbridge’s gas distribution and storage in Ohio

natural gas,” Weekley says. “And we deliver that natural gas to (them).”

The company delivers gas from interstate pipelines, local production wells, shale wells and its underground storage pool through a low-pressure distribution system to fuel customers’ furnaces, gas stoves and water heaters. This mix of natural gas sources keeps prices affordable.

“This infrastructure is really crucial for our customers because it provides them with low-cost natural gas,” Weekley says. “A lot of local natural gas distribution companies across the country do not have this type of sophisticated system. Our employees are adept at managing these operations around the clock.”

How we work

Enbridge’s projects, operations and interests in Ohio include:

• Fox Squirrel Solar Project: a 400-megawatt solar energy facility in Madison County

• Generation Pipeline: a 25-mile natural gas transmission pipeline that delivers up to 355 million cubic feet per day of gas to Greater Toledo

• NEXUS Gas Transmission Pipeline: a 257-mile natural gas pipeline that travels across Ohio and Michigan and delivers up to 355 million cubic feet of natural gas per day to markets in the Midwest

• Texas Eastern Transmission Natural Gas Pipeline: a pipeline that travels more than 8,500 miles and moves more than 12 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas, crossing Ohio as it connects Texas and the Gulf Coast with markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

• Toledo Pipeline: a pipeline that travels 88 miles from Stockbridge, Mich., to Toledo to deliver oil to the BP-Husky Refinery

These above assets have resulted in well-paying jobs in cities and towns; tax revenue to help build schools, hospitals and roads; procurement spending that stimulates local economies; and grants and volunteer labor for community projects.

Additionally, Enbridge is also dedicated to community engagement and philanthropy, Weekley says.

“Our responsibilities go beyond just the safe delivery of gas to our customers,” Weekley says. “We encourage our employees to be involved in their communities and be the eyes and ears. If it’s

important to our employees who live and work in those areas. It’s important to us.” In line with that philosophy, Enbridge’s community investments fuel the quality of life in the communities where it operates.

• Enbridge’s Corporate Citizenship includes both corporate giving, and a robust employee volunteering and giving program available to all team members.

• In 2023, Enbridge invested $18 million through donations and sponsorships to eligible charitable and nonprofit causes that align with one or more of its giving focus areas — strengthening the Safety, Vibrancy and Sustainability of its communities.

• Team members can also leverage up to $5,000 in annual rewards to direct to causes that matter the most to them, through any combination of donation and fundraising matching, volunteer grants, community project grants and paid time off for volunteering.

Enbridge Gas Ohio employees hand out school supplies to Akron City School students during the Backpack Adventure 2024 at the Akron Zoo.

A SIMPLE, OFFICEBASED PROCEDURE −RAPID RELIEF FROM SYMPTOMS −COSMETICALLY PLEASING RESULTS −QUICK RETURN TO WORK AND PLAY

PATIENT REVIEWS

★★★★★

I am so glad I saw a Dr. Duggan ad in a Cleveland Magazine! About 6 months after starting treatments my throbbing/itchy/ bulging veins in both legs are gone! My legs look fantastic. I don’t have to wear cover-up makeup anymore. Dr. Duggan and her staff are a wonderful.. fun.. caring.. team. I have been to other vascular doctors and Dr. Duggan is definitely the best doctor in Cleveland. I will continue to spread good words of Dr. Duggan ....and the great job she did for me!

★★★★★

I saw Dr. Duggan for varicose veins more than five years ago. When it became necessary to see a doctor again, I returned to Dr. Duggan because I was so satisfied with the outcomes. I didn’t seek treatment for cosmetic reasons but because of leg pain, heaviness, cramps, tiredness and restlessness. Procedures are relatively painless, quick, and effective. Dr. Duggan explains everything. She is skilled, professional, and caring. SHE actually calls you after a procedure to check on you. Her husband, also involved in certain procedures, is excellent, too. The office (including support staff and doctors) has a positive vibe that enhances the treatment experience. Outcomes + office environment = optimum satisfaction. ★★★★★

I’ve been bothered by networks of broken veins and anterior leg cramps in both legs for many years and have been treated at other facilities with little success in appearance or reduction of cramps. Came to Dr. Duggan to give treatment one last chance. She and Dr. John thoroughly evaluated my legs and after laser treatment and multiple deftly administered vein injections, both legs look amazingly better and no longer wake me at night with cramping. They were lovely and personable and great at what they do! I’m grateful to Dr. Duggan for the excellent results and wish I had come years sooner. ★★★★★

I went 20 years in daily pain in both my legs due to varicose veins. I did not want to have the inpatient hospital surgery with the lengthy recovery. I finally was seen by Dr. Duggan. She told me about a procedure, called Endovenous Laser Ablation, that would be done in her office to both my greater and lesser saphenous veins. I was truly amazed. No down time and no cutting open. It was a blessing, and I am now pain free.

Dr. Duggan is a great doctor who really knows what she is talking about. I felt that I received excellent attentive care delivered at the highest standard. She is professional, focused on the task at hand, but she also took the time to put me at ease and keep me well-informed every step of the way. Plus, she made me feel like her friend and not her patient. I strongly recommend Dr. Duggan!

A Fresh Take on Elegance

You can be the best kept secret in town for only so long before someone starts to notice, and my oh my is Valley’s Edge Steak & Seafood getting noticed!

Nestled on the grounds of MGM Northfield Park, Valley’s Edge Steak & Seafood offers a savory selection of wood-fired steaks, delicious seafood and a host of gourmet entrees and desserts. Award-winning Executive Chef Chris Poplin has taken great care to craft a menu that is both new and approachable.

With contemporary lighting, luxurious flooring and artistic wall finishes, the interior design of the restaurant marries a sense of local style with Las Vegas panache. The walls are adorned with works from local artisans, so there is always something beautiful to capture your gaze.

The menu is led by savory cuts of beef with options such as a center cut filet, house smoked herbed prime rib, USDA Prime New York strip and the plate filling 20 oz. bone in ribeye. Not to be ignored is the Faroe Island salmon with roasted sweet potatoes, arugula, asparagus, tomato confit and maple glaze, or the succulent twin lobster tails with smoked paprika, lemon and drawn butter.

If steak and seafood doesn’t strike your fancy, fear not. The extensive menu has you covered with dishes such as the pan seared chicken breast with cannellini beans, cabbage, green beans, tomato coulis and roast chicken jus, or the savory ravioli primavera with cauliflower, grape tomatoes, wild mushrooms, sweet potato, fresh herbs and extra virgin olive oil.

Now, don’t get full just yet, your sweet tooth needs some love, too. The carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and ginger crystals is out of this world, and the red velvet cheesecake is almost too pretty to eat, but please eat it, you’ve tasted nothing like it as the flavors that you didn’t know would pair so well together bring a smile to your face.

Whether you choose an intimate table, luxurious booth, casual high top or a seat at the bar, you won’t be far from a superior selection of local craft beers, international wines or one-of-a-kind spirits. Should you have bourbon aficionados in attendance, Valley’s Edge has a treat for them.

On a trip to Bardstown Kentucky, the Valley’s Edge Food & Beverage team sampled and selected a barrel of bourbon from the legendary Heaven Hill Distillery. The distillery, established in 1935, produces 1,300 barrels a year, but one unique barrel that spent eight years maturing in warehouse “H” will only be available at the restaurants and bars on the grounds of MGM Northfield Park.

With your first sip of the Elijah Craig MGM Barrel Bourbon, you can taste how the history of the barrel, the richness of the corn, rye and barley, all marry with Kentucky’s limestone filtered water. Whether you’re a connoisseur or new to this historic

spirit, you’ll know you are tasting something very special.

Valley’s Edge is also known for creating themed dinners, past favorites have been the “Titanic Dinner” based on the ship’s menu and other historical references to recreate the 10-course meal served to the first-class passengers. Another popular dinner was based on the 1972 film “The Godfather,” with each course paired with wine from the Francis Ford Coppola winery. And yes, there was cannoli.

Entertainment can enhance the perfect date night and it’s clear that Valley’s Edge does not disappoint. There are so many things for adults to see and do on the MGM Northfield Park property that it quickly becomes clear why their motto is, “Find Your Fun!”

Adjacent to Valley’s Edge is a state-of-the-art gaming floor with more than 1,600 video lottery terminals (VLT’s).

The restaurant’s name is an homage to its location at the edge of the scenic Cuyahoga Valley

You can try your luck on fan favorite games, like Huff N’ Puff, or the mysteriously immersive Frankenstein. If you’re feeling frisky, wander into the high limit room to play the new Dragon Link with a potential $1 million dollar jackpot. The property has paid out more than $200 million in jackpots over the last 12 months, so don’t let someone else have all the fun!

Not a gambler? Not a problem. In addition to its gaming floor, MGM Northfield Park is home to Center Stage, an 1,800-seat concert venue with a dazzling light and sound system. While you’re logged onto mgmnorthfieldpark.com to make dinner reservations, be sure to browse through the entertainment calendar to know when your favorite band or comedian is performing. Music legends from every genre have graced Center Stage. The fall and winter lineup include everyone form Kenny G, Nick Carter and Matteo Bocelli to Peter Frampton, Kem and The Black Crowes. If you’re looking for something cozier, the Neon Room

hosts free concerts featuring local bands.

Whether it’s an intimate evening for two, or a gathering of many, Valley’s Edge Steak & Seafood is the elegant restaurant you didn’t know existed, but now that you do, be sure to make your reservations and experience a fresh take on elegance.

Valley’s Edge Steak & Seafood is open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 to 9 pm. Valet parking is available at the main entrance at 10777 Northfield Road, Northfield, OH. Reservations can be made at mgmnorthfieldpark.com or by calling 330-908-7602.

Diners will find an elegant and relaxing environment for the perfect date night.

MGM Northfield Park, Valley’s Edge Steak & Seafood

ON THE COVER

52 ORDER UP! Get acquainted with Cleveland's pizza scene and take a bite (or two) out of the iconic cheesy dish's most burning questions and debates. Plus, we help you choose which pie is perfect for your pizza night. Edited by Dillon Stewart

Photographed by Megann Galehouse

FEATURED

42 ROCKET UP For 30 years, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has established itself as Downtown Cleveland's entertainment centerpiece. Relive its greatest moments. By Vince Guerrieri

12 FROM THE EDITOR 14 CONVERSATION

LAY OF THE LAND

17

CENTURY OF MAHALL'S The Lakewood music and bowling hot spot celebrates a major anniversary this year.

26 TAMIR'S LEGACY Ten years after the police killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, his mother, Samaria Rice, holds his memory close.

FOOD & DRINK

31 CHIC COFFEE Cafe Blanc is Parma Heights' stunning new European coffee shop.

FALL FOR THE FALLS Explore Cuyahoga Falls' best and most unique eateries, including a hidden speakeasy.

HOME & GARDEN

DOWNSTAIRS RENO A wet bar, a movie theater room and classy design decisions transform a basement.

136 LOOK BACK Former mayor Ralph Perk kickstarts his first of two terms leading the city by showcasing development at Playhouse Square.

SPECIAL SECTIONS

72 RETIREMENT LIVING From zip lining to jewelry-making, retirement is fun.

125 HOME WINTERIZATION Find your checklist to get your

Special Advertising and Promotional Sections

77 GIVE CLEVELAND 200

Two hundred nonprofit leaders making a difference in the community, plus what giving looks like now.

117 BRIGHT STAR AWARDS

The Northern Ohio Area Chambers of Commerce honor dedicated volunteers from across the region.

READER SERVICES

15 OUT AND ABOUT 135 DISTINCTIVE HOMES

Denise Polverine publisher Dillon Stewart

managing editor Ron Ledgard

editor Annie Nickoloff associate editors Jala Forest, Julia Lombardo editorial assistants Danny Cunningham, Christina Rufo

contributing writers Vince Guerrieri, Kristen Hampshire, Kate Bigam Kaput, Ida Lieszkovszky, Lynne Thompson

editorial interns Paris Mather, Lainey Novak, Jaden Stambolia

art director Erin Stinard

associate art director Abigail Archer contributing artists Megann Galehouse, Magan McLaughlin, Betty Karslake, Daniel Lozada

design intern Eleni Pamboukis

Maya Holtzman editorial@clevelandmagazine.com

Paul Klein

Desmond, Tiffany Myroniak

Julie Bialowas, Shayne Rose, Jessica Thomas

Rosta

HOLIDAYS

ENJOY REINDEER GAMES, SANTA FUN, CAROLERS, AND SO MUCH MORE AT PINECREST THIS WINTER. VISIT DISCOVERPINECREST.COM FOR ALL THE DETAILS!

Why We’re Zealous Lovers

I’M GEARING UP for your emails. Over my half-decade of focused studying and writing about dining culture, no American cuisine elicits the passion of pizza. So, dissection is inevitable.

For years, snobby New Yorkers and crabby Cleveland Redditors swear there is no good pizza in this town. I disagree. Il Rione, Cent’s Pizza and Vero, which you’ll find on our cover, can stand up to any pizzeria I’ve had in this country. They prove this stubborn view is untrue and that, in the knowledgesharing age of the internet, the idea that only New York, Chicago or even Italy can make a good pie is absurd, immature and ridiculous.

With an onslaught of new, high-end choices, we cannot forget those who came before. On page 62 of the package, for example, you’ll meet Geraci’s Restaurant, along with three other beloved 50-plus-year-old pizzerias.

Geraci’s, the University Heights Italian joint, has evolved with Downtown’s The Slice Shop, which the third generation family owners built to continue the legacy with a modern offering.

So with all these great options, why do so many people still bicker about the best pizza cities or even the best pizzerias in a city with an intensity that they don’t exude over sushi, steak, French onion soup or burritos? In this month’s cover story on page 52, we set out to explore why diners and chefs are so passionate about pie.

Arthur Bovino, the host of the Pizza Pod Party podcast, who has written extensively about all things pizza, hypothesizes that the discourse fills a gap left by the weightier topics people no longer feel comfortable discussing.

“Whether we’re talking about dipping in ranch or pineapple on a pizza, these are low-stakes, high-passion arguments,” says Bovino, a New Yorker. “Nobody is going to get hurt in this debate. Whereas in politics, as a country, it seems like these debates are getting a little more serious.”

Ultimately, our divisive pizza debate is mostly tongue-in-cheek. After all, many diners follow up their infallible and ardent declaration with the admission that they could eat cardboard with sauce and cheese. I’ll admit to being part of that crowd. Heck, I’ve enjoyed DiGiorno (yes, dipped in ranch) in times of desperation.

Join the greasy, scalding-hot debate over great pizza on page 52

But these days, our expectations need not be that low because of the astronomical standards with which today’s local pizza makers approach their craft. We selected our cover image, a Margherita from Vero Pizza Napoletana, as a representation of this borderline obsessive approach to pizza making. Marc-Aurele Buholzer, who is Vero’s pizzaiolo (a term for a chef who specializes in pizza), follows the strict standards of Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, despite not being a member and, thus, not beholden to using the specific tomatoes, cheese or techniques.

Because of this compulsion for excellence, Cleveland’s pizza game punches far above its weight, and I’ll stand tall in front of any flaming 800-degree oven and take whatever heat comes my way for making that assertion.

Dillon Stewart, editor stewart@clevelandmagazine.com

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Birds of a Feather

On Nov. 28, as many settle down to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, others will suit up with costumes to run a turkey trot. Whether or not you’re part of a turkey trot family, here are some facts worth knowing about the nation’s oldest footrace.

A SLICE OF LIFE

1. Six men ran the first turkey trot. Nearly 8,000 competed at Cleveland’s in 2023.

2. Every state hosts a turkey trot, making it the largest running day in America. Ohio alone has more than two dozen.

3. Turkey trots raise nearly $2 million for charities nationwide.

4. Some winners at the Cleveland Turkey Trot receive a pumpkin pie.

Since November’s issue is all about giving our readers the scoop on Cleveland’s pizza shops, we felt it right to share the spots that inspire our staff.

Abigail Archer: Boom’s Pizza (Lakewood, Shaker Heights)

Danny Cunningham: Mama Santa’s (Little Italy)

Ron Ledgard: Geraci’s Slice Shop (Downtown)

Julia Lombardo: Concord Pizza (Concord Township)

Annie Nickoloff: Napoleon’s Pizza (Parma)

Erin Stinard: Chatty’s Pizzeria (Bay Village)

October’s Best of Cleveland issue celebrated the artists, makers, businesses and services that make the city go ‘round. The coveted cover package always makes our readers buzz.

@chelseapastel: Love my city!!! It was such a pleasure and honor! Congratulations to the best of Cleveland!!

@neeeeena: Omg the most iconic cover of all!!! @emmakathleen3: My favorite issue!!!!

C R

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Question or comment about the magazine? Reach out to us at conversation@ clevelandmagazine.com. Follow us @clevelandmagazine @clevelandmag

Sept. 5, 2024

PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON, PRESENTED BY PNC |

The annual event with the Tri-C Foundation and its philanthropic partners raised more than $1 million in scholarships for Tri-C students — and for new opportunities at Tri-C's Center for Entrepreneurs at Corporate College, which offers courses, workshops, resources and a podcast studio for small businesses. The event, this year sponsored by PNC, along with organizations like AT&T, Brewer-Garrett, the Lerner Foundation and Medical Mutual, has raised $25 million since its inception in 1992.

1) Tri-C President Michael Baston; London Mitchell, owner of OneChance and winner of Tri-C Center for Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition, powered by PNC; Keynote speaker Daymond John of Shark Tank

2) Daymond John; Tri-C mascot Stomp; Michael Baston

3) Daymond John at a special session with student entrepreneurs

4) Daymond John and Michael Baston in conversation

Hotel Cleveland

2024 NORTHCOAST 99 AWARDS PROGRAM & EVENT |

Nearly 700 winners, sponsors and guests gathered at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown on Wednesday, Sept. 25 for ERC’s annual NorthCoast 99 awards ceremony. The event, themed “Company’s Got Talent!” celebrated Northeast Ohio’s 99 exceptional workplaces for top talent. All the winning workplaces and Special Category Award recipients — including The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Cleveland Metroparks, Majestic Steel USA, Flexjet, National Interstate Insurance and Park Place Technologies — were recognized. First-time, 10-time and 20-time winners were also honored during the ceremony. Attendees enjoyed a cocktail reception, networking, a three-course dinner and live dueling piano entertainment by the Cleveland Keys.

Sept. 25, 2024

Hilton Cleveland Downtown

THE LAND

MANY RESTAURANTS AND VENUES can’t remember who they were at the beginning of the 20th century — if they even existed at all. But there’s one name that Clevelanders have spoken for a hundred years with a semantic common ground, a name that reminds us that not everything has to become obsolete. And whether you pronounce it “may-hall’s” or “muh-hall’s,” Lakewood entertainment complex Mahall’s has a history that goes back 100 years, with only a handful of ownership changes in that time. The building has seen quite a bit of change in its century — but today, it continues to offer itself as a second home, bowling alley, music locale, restaurant and venue for galas and weddings. “It existed before I did,” says former owner Kelly Flamos, “and it will exist after me.”

THE MAHALL FAMILY

John K. Mahall opened his Lakewood business in 1924, soon serving many local leagues. The scene stayed in family hands, passed down to John’s sons Art and Cornelius, and then grandson Tom, who made renovations like buying the neighboring building for a billiard room and having automatic pin-setting machines installed. “Their goal was to make sure Mahall’s was there forever. Part of that is adapting the space to what the market demands,” says Kelly Flamos, who became part of the next ownership group of Mahall’s in 2011. During World War II, during which the persistent Mahall’s never closed, league bowling dwindled — and after the war, the sport saw a renaissance once again.

THE NEXT GEN

Flamos initially bought the business from Tom and Art Mahall in 2011 and shape-shifted the establishment, emphasizing live music. As the pandemic hit in 2020, Mahall’s served customers primarily through takeout food instead of live events. Flamos also revealed more of the building’s initial charms; wallpaper was removed to show an original mural painted by Art and Cornelius, and the drop ceiling was redone to boast its earliest tiles. “We restored it from its mid-century modern look back to its 1924 glory,” Flamos explains. In 2021, Flamos and other parts of her ownership group sold their stakes in Mahall’s, and the group behind the local BravoArtist concert promotion company took over.

MAHALL’S NOW

Now, Mahall’s is co-owned by Cory Hajde and continues to reach new audiences. “I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to buy the institution that provided me a third place in my teenage years,” says Hajde. “With this comes a lot of nuance and dedication to preservation.” Hajde says he’s emphasized getting to know the Mahall’s family, bowlers and creatives who have frequented the space for decades. Meanwhile, he’s made big changes to the venue, removing its main-floor bowling alleys for The Roxy stage, nixing its second-floor apartment venue and transforming the basement stage into a cocktail lounge. “Cory’s leadership is a great step to making sure it’s there for the next 100 years,” Flamos says.

Innovation is in our DNA. That’s why we’re for quantum computers and libraries that fit in your pocket, for self-cleaning paints and a paint company that’s changing our skyline, for enabling EVs and transforming transportation, for landings on Mars and telescopes seeing past stars, for world-class healthcare and leading-edge museums, for watertech businesses and water in abundance, for $800 million PB&Js and blenders that last a lifetime, for croissant crust pizza and the kimchi-curious, for sustainability breakthroughs and tech’s next big thing, for award-winning fashion designers, and concept-to-product dream factories. We’re Cleveland.

We’re for big ideas and bold ventures.

SHOPPING

MAKE IT LOCAL

For 20 years, the Cleveland Bazaar has showcased Northeast Ohio artists at its popular holiday markets.

SASSYFRASS

Two decades ago, Cleveland Bazaar gave Jessica Kinsinger one of her earliest opportunities to showcase the antique salvage jewelry business that she started to stay at home with her baby son. She’s been participating since, becoming one of the greatest constants of the holiday shows. “I don’t know what the course of my business would have been had Shannon [Okey, Cleveland Bazaar founder] not accepted me to that first show,” Kinsinger says. Known for her unique, artsy, asymmetrical earrings (which earned her a Cleveland Magazine Best of Cleveland nod in 2014), you can find Sassyfrass at the 78th Street Studios Market in December. facebook.com/ilovesassyfrass

BOUNDARY AND THORN

Every year, customers seem to find a new favorite Boundary and Thorn cocktail print; this year, it happens to be the espresso martini, says designer Lucy Williams. The illustrator started her brand as a creative outlet in 2016. “It kind of snowballed into a business by accident, after I started making custom work for friends,” Williams says. “More people started gravitating toward it and actually wanting to buy it.” She took Boundary and Thorn full time this year and counts on events like the Cleveland Bazaar to fuel her customer base. “None of us are here just doing this by ourselves,” she says. “It’s really the community in Cleveland that has made selling work and sustaining a small business possible.” boundaryandthorn.com

FIRELANDS WAX

Different scents are popular with different audiences for Firelands Wax, says founder Danielle Gura. In Sandusky, customers love traditional lavenders and vanillas — but in Cleveland, she’s noticed a demand for her quirkier blends, like tomato leaf and petrichor. “Cleveland has been so supportive of my unusual stuff,” Gura says. For nearly 10 years, she's handpoured the soy wax creations, originally as a part of her former gift crate business — until the candles became her new focus after her sister turned the brand into a fully fledged business. Now, Gura counts on markets, like the Bazaar's Fifth Street Arcades and 78th Steet Studios shows, to support the brand. firelandswax.com

TINY CLOUD CERAMICS

Ever since a fateful ceramics class at the University of Akron, Mary Clark has been hooked on the art form. The maker started her brand, Tiny Cloud Ceramics, when she graduated in 2016. That year, she also got involved with the Cleveland Bazaar, selling quirky, colorful mugs, dishes and more. “I mostly sell ceramics because I want to keep making ceramics, rather than making ceramics to sell them,” Clark says. “Either way, I’d be making pottery, most likely, but this way I can make more of it and not have it just clutter up every person that I know’s house.” Shop Clark's collection at Cleveland Bazaar’s 78th Street Studios show and at the Akron Bazaar this holiday season. tinycloudceramics.com

SNAKES AND ACEY'S

Calling her shop the “black sheep” of Little Italy’s retail scene, Hannah Manocchio hand prints mental health and women’s rights-themed prints and apparel. Running Snakes and Acey's has been a labor of love — especially when the designer faced challenges of her store flooding and the pandemic. “It might not be a milliondollar business or the greatest, but I’m still here, and I think that says something,” Manocchio says. The brick-and-mortar opened in 2017, and a year before that, the artist got her vending start at the Cleveland Bazaar, where she continues to sell her products today. “I have never felt such an overall feeling of community,” Manocchio says about the market series, where she’s forged connections leading to 20-30% of her commission jobs. Find her at Cleveland Bazaar holiday shows at 78th Street Studios. snakesandaceys.com

NUNI PRODUCTS

Sisters De’Jah and JuLonnah Nixon crafted their own line of skincare products when they were teenagers to help with eczema and acne issues. It started with a homemade lotion and turned into an entire collection of creations that they whipped up in their childhood home. ”We just kept going, and eventually our house was full of products,” De'Jah says, ”So my dad said, ‘You guys have to get these products out of the house, somehow.’ So we started doing different markets.” A decade later, their brand has built up fans for a variety of luscious, tropical scents and soothing effects centered in plant-based "nilk" creams, body oils, body butters, soaps and more. “It’s practically grown up with us,” De’Jah says. The sisters started selling at Cleveland Bazaar when they moved back to Cleveland after COVID and plan to sell at the Akron Bazaar and 78th Street Studios holiday shows. nuniproducts.com

MARKET LEADER

Cleveland Bazaar founder Shannon Okey reflects on two decades of the market series.

Boston Beginnings: Okey found inspiration in a bazaar event while living in Boston and launched her own branch when she moved back to Cleveland in 2004, as did other friends in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Cleveland and San Francisco continue to run to this day.

Knitting it Together: Running a makers market was natural for Okey, a hand-knitting designer who's authored more than 20 craft books. Her maker-focused philosophy arrived early on. “I was raised around artists and musicians and people who, if they wanted to do something and it wasn’t there already, you did it for yourself, and you made it yourself."

Big Impact: Cleveland Bazaar's 78th Street Studios weekend holiday market alone (what Okey calls "the big one") brings $250,000 in sales. But the event's impact goes beyond dollars and brick-and-mortars from former Bazaar participants like CLE Clothing Co. “The reason a lot of people take up a profession like this is they need the flexibility. They’ve got childcare, they’ve got eldercare, they have health problems. All of those things and more are represented across the spectrum of people who work with the Bazaar.”

Something Borrowed

Internationally renowned wedding podcast gets a makeover in Cleveland.

A PLAY ON THE INFAMOUS “Bridezilla” persona, the Bridechilla podcast is about taking the stress out of wedding planning, employing the honest advice of industry experts and connecting with couples navigating the big day. In 2020, founder Aleisha McCormack hit pause, until 2024, when the London-based Aussie sent the project overseas to Leah Haslage, producer for Cleveland’s Evergreen Podcast Group. With McCormack’s help, the host of Weddings Unveiled with Leah and producer of Patrice Catan’s Tales From Behind the Veil took the mic and gave the show new life. As Haslage’s Bridechilla enters its honeymoon phase, we ask about the experience.

Leah Haslage

biggest difference. You want the expert advice, but you also want to hear from

Q

PIECE OF WEDDING ADVICE?

A Communication is key. It can be really easy to have all these voices in your head of what everyone else wants and needs, or what they think is best for you. And it can be very easy to get down the rabbit hole of Instagram and Pinterest trends. You have to get real with your significant other, family, friends and your vendors, stay firm in your vision and stick with it.

Fighting Grief for Justice

Ten years after the nightmare of losing her son, Samaria Rice is driven to help others by not letting his memory fade.

On Nov. 22, 2014, Samaria Rice went to the CVS across the street from her home to pick up medicine for her older son. On the way home, she froze, suddenly and inexplicably unable to move.

“Something stopped me on the corner and numbed my body from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet,” says the mother of four. “After it went away, I walked across the street to my house. I started trying to give him the medicine, and we got a knock at the door. It was two children that said the police just shot your son.”

They were talking about her younger son, 12-year-old Tamir.

Tamir’s shooting by Cleveland police became a pivotal national moment and a keystone of the Black Lives Matter movement. His name was invoked at protests nationwide. His boyish face was all over the news.

For his mother, it was a nightmare that she could never wake up from.

She created a memorial for him at the Cudell Recreation Center where he was shot. There’s a butterfly garden, some benches and a large stone plaque commemorating him.

“It’s a sacred place for me. It’s a

memory for me, and I want it to be protected,” she says, gazing at his face etched in stone. “My son was murdered here, so this is the only piece that I have of him left.”

By the time Rice made it to the scene, Tamir was lying on the ground. Her daughter, Tajai, who was inside the recreation center at the time of the shooting, was handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser, and her older son was surrounded by police.

Tamir would be pronounced dead at the hospital early the next morning, but Samaria Rice says she knew that day he was already gone.

She remembers every detail of the case. How someone called 911 on her son, and told the operator it was “probably a juvenile” and the gun he’d been playing with was “probably fake.” How the police drove right up to the gazebo he’d been sitting in because their tires slid on the snow. How the brake lights were still on when an officer fired two shots at her child.

“It changed my DNA, it changed my kids’ DNA,” she says. “We all suffer from PTSD, anxiety and depression, but I’m able to channel it in positive ways. They’re starting to channel theirs

in positive ways.”

Over the past 10 years, Rice has thrown herself into the work of remembering her son and ensuring the world doesn’t forget him either.

She has been outspoken about police shootings nationwide, and has given many interviews and speeches on the subject. She often holds events in Tamir’s honor, such as a 22nd birthday party in Cudell last June.

She used part of her $6 million settlement with the City of Cleveland to buy a building on the East side for the Tamir Rice Afro-Centric Cultural Center. Samaria Rice had some run-ins with what she calls bad contractors in the process of renovating the space, but she hopes that a fundraiser gala on Nov. 3 in Tamir’s honor allows her to complete the project by year’s end.

She’s hoping to get the Marion C. Seltzer Elementary School in Cudell, where Tamir went and which is being rebuilt, renamed in her son’s honor. She wanted the gazebo that he was shot under moved out of the park; it’s

Tamir Rice’s name became a keystone of the Black Lives Matter movement, invoked at protests nationwide.

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now in Chicago under the care of artist Theaster Gates.

Rice also lobbied for the passage of Issue 24, which gave residents the final say on police discipline and policies by shifting power to the Cleveland Community Police Commission and Civilian Police Review Board. The Cleveland Community Police Commission was established in 2015. She’s kept a close eye on the city’s Consent Decree, which went into effect in 2015 after a report from the U.S. Department of Justice found Cleveland Police engaged “in a pattern or practice of the use of excessive force.” In his latest report, published in September, Consent Decree monitor Karl Racine commended the city for “beginning to move away from unnecessary legal squabbling,” improving their rating in certain areas, and not getting worse in others.

Racine did not respond to a request for comment, and staff in Judge Solomon Oliver’s courtroom, who oversees the implementation of the Consent Decree, said he would not be able to comment. The Cleveland Police Department consigned an interview request to Mayor Justin Bibb’s office. The mayor did not respond to specific questions, but spokeswoman Marie Zickefoose said via email that the city

is making “positive progress regarding the Consent Decree.” She also shared a news conference in which Leigh Anderson, the executive director of the Police Accountability Team in the Mayor’s office, said “our collective efforts are yielding positive outcomes that align with the court’s objectives and are contributing to a safer, more responsive policing environment.”

Rice is unimpressed with any improvements police have made.

“Nine years later, they should be in compliance, don’t you think?” Rice says. “It just amazes me how they don’t want accountability for their actions.”

She says she hasn’t seen much of a change in the local police, and puts her personal estimate of their compliance at around 50%.

“The people are scared of the police, and the police should be blaming themselves because y’all the one that made them scared,” she says. “You can’t call them for help! You have to be very strategic about calling them and say,

Samaria Rice talks with reporter Ida Lieszkovszky at the playground where Rice’s 12-year-old son Tamir was shot and killed by police 10 years ago.

Do you really wanna call? Which police are you going to get today, are you gonna get a good cop or a bad cop? It’s a roll of the dice.”

She meets occasionally with Mayor Bibb, whose administration she refers to as “a bunch of kids running the city.”

By now, Rice has even run out of kind words for the national Black Lives Matter movement, the leaders of which she sees as “getting paid off the pain and the blood and sweat of other peoples’ death.”

She has a more favorable view of Cleveland’s BLM chapter, which she says does a better job of supporting victim’s families.

Cleveland BLM President LaTonya Goldsby is Rice’s cousin. Goldsby remembers Tamir as a “good kid” who was “always smiling and laughing.” She became an activist following Tamir’s shooting, and credits the movement with waking people up to the realities of police violence. Both women lament what they see as a lack of repercussions for police.

“We need to have some legislation in place that’ll begin to hold these officers accountable for their actions,” Goldsby says. “All too often we’ve seen officers just get away with murder, there’s no consequences to hold them accountable.”

A grand jury declined to indict the officers involved in Tamir’s death in 2015. Five years later, federal prosecutors also decided not to press charges, much to the family’s chagrin.

“It has been rough, the last 10 years,” Rice says. “A lot of sleepless nights, still having crying spells to this day. It’s not fair.”

Rice finds strength in God and hope in her grandchildren and the children of the community.

She remembers Tamir as a “gentle giant” who could throw a football like an adult and shoot 3-pointers, who loved playing the drums and creating art.

“He was exceptional,” she says, wiping a tear from her eye. “I don’t know what he could have been.”

FOOD &

DRINK

R S T L O

A LITTLE SLICE of Europe opened in Parma Heights this past summer with Cafe Blanc, a light-filled spot owned by couple Volodymyr Yaremko and Christina Gabyak. “I just was missing the European vibe in Cleveland, and especially in Parma Heights, because there’s not much here,” says Yaremko, who grew up in Ukraine. Adjacent to the Ukrainian Academy, a day care that Yaremko’s sister Halyna Dutka runs, the cafe has been a quick hit for its Instagrammable interior and from-scratch cooking — and for bringing local coffee to an area that lacks it. “It means the world to us that people are supportive of our business because we were very nervous that people would think, Oh, they don’t know what they’re doing, they’re young,” Gabyak says. “We put our whole heart and soul into this.”

LOTS OF LIGHT

The polished interior features a flower mural, hanging benches and hundreds of feet of draped LED cotton-rope lights that Yaremko crafted and wired by hand. For the decor, the 29-yearold business owner leaned into neutral browns and off-whites — “like coffee and milk.” A spiral staircase transports customers to a snazzy second floor. But what pulls it all together was specific to the corner of the building, which is filled with natural light from an abundance of windows. “I was like, This is it, this is where I can make a cafe — and I have a vision for it,” Yaremko recalls.

SCRATCH-MADE MENU

Gabyak developed the menu of sweets and mains. Desserts are a customer favorite, she says — particularly crepes ($12-$16) and tarts ($6-$9), including ones filled with hand-ground pistachio paste. For lunch, standouts include the spicy zuppa toscana ($9) and sourdough flatbread pizzas ($14-$20). Cafe Blanc was a new adventure following Gabyak’s work as an intensive care unit nurse. “All of my cooking experience was all just recreational, personal,” the 22-year-old chef says. “Since I was a little girl, I just always loved cooking.”

COMMUNITY COFFEE

“Neither of us are coffee drinkers,” Gabyak says. “We’re slowly turning into them now, but it was challenging.” The two, who had initially dreamt of owning a restaurant, researched coffee bean sources and invested in an espresso machine. They asked the day care teachers who share the building to pick favorites and encouraged baristas, most of whom are European, to bring their own experience into the menu. “It was really cool to get all the different parts of the world,” Gabyak says. “They have their different techniques.”

The Parma Heights cafe has found a robust customer base since it opened for business in June.

BOBBY RUTTER

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, FORWARD HOSPITALITY

Working in his grandparents’ pizza shops, Bobby Rutter developed a work ethic that has served him well in the hospitality industry and as a partner at Rutter & Russin law firm. Forward Hospitality oversees FWD Nightclub, Welcome to the Farm and more.

— CHRISTINA RUFO

FAVORITE TAKEOUT My last-minute takeout tends to be earlier in the day. The two places Downtown I tend to go to on a whim would be either 27 Club Coffee or Larder Delicatessen & Bakery (Ohio City), because they’re kind of close to where I am. My kids like 27 Club. So that impacts a lot of my decisions. I’m a simple person, so usually at 27 Club, I’m just drinking straight black coffee. At Larder, I usually get the chicken sandwich. Their brisket sandwich is excellent, too.

DATE NIGHT Il Rione (Detroit Shoreway) is the best pizza in town. I like Marble Room Steaks & Raw Bar (Downtown) a lot, too. Then, there’s Michelangelo’s in Little Italy. I got married there. Those guys do the best Italian in the city.

INSPIRATION I think that Patron Saint (Ohio City) fills a little bit of that midday gap. That’s kind of fun. And I think the other spot is Amba (Ohio City). Doug Katz’s spot is just fantastic. Their bar scene is really good.

BEST ATMOSPHERE The best experiences would include these places. If you go to Marble Room, and you go to Amba and then you go to Cordelia, you’ve taken in a very diverse scene in three separate sections with three totally different menus. That’s a big-city mix of culinary scenes that I think people wouldn’t necessarily expect to get here, and they’re within a quarter mile of each other.

WORD OF MOUTH

Dining Guide

CUYAHOGA FALLS' BEST RESTAURANTS

BEAU'S ON THE RIVER

WHY WE LOVE IT: This contemporary American restaurant offers elegance with floor-to-ceiling windows for stunning views of the Cuyahoga River in the heart of the falls. Located in Sheraton Suites, it blends upscale dining with a refined atmosphere, making it the spot for any occasion. Look for live entertainment in the lounge and weekend brunches, which make it fun for both visitors and locals.

TRY THIS: A standout dish that looks as good as it sounds, the stuffed salmon ($31) features Akura salmon stuffed with brie and sauteed spinach. It's served with three-cheese risotto, broccolini and a roasted tomato beurre blanc.

1989 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-920-7530, beausontheriver.com

BOSS CHICKNBEER

WHY WE LOVE IT: Voted best wings by Cleveland Magazine readers, this isn’t your usual fried chicken joint. Everything is coated in a gluten-free breading, and the menu offers an entire section dedicated to vegan options. “A lot of people with [celiac disease] come in, and they’re so excited,” says assistant manager Tamera Lewis. “It’s always nice to see a smile on their face knowing they can eat without having to worry about everything having gluten.”

TRY THIS: The OG Boss Chick N Mac ($15) comes with fried or grilled chicken, gluten-free queso macaroni and cheese, bacon, signature gold sauce and green onions. 1791 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-805-4243, bosschicknbeer.com

BUTCHER & SPROUT

WHY WE LOVE IT: Partnered with Farmer’s Rail, the locally owned butcher shop down the road, this comfortable family dinner spot is known for its focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients and a commitment to a farm-to-table dining experience. Board games are available at the entrance for some meal-time entertainment, and the high seating capacity is great for large groups. The menu features a variety of dishes that combine classic comfort food with modern culinary techniques.

TRY THIS: The You’re My Boy, Blue burger ($17) comes piled high with a grass-fed, all-Ohio, non-GMO burger patty, crumbled blue cheese, thick-cut bacon, pickled red onion and balsamic mayo for a savory wallop with house fries on the side. 1846 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-801-0009, butcherandsprout.com

EL MESON

WHY WE LOVE IT: Serving up all the classic, authentic Mexican dishes, El Meson is a homey spot for large gatherings inside and on the open patio. And who doesn’t love dinner with a free basket of chips and homemade salsa? The signature selection of cocktails matches the walls' vibrant skeleton murals with a colorful variety of margarita flavors such as strawberry, peach, banana, mango and more.

TRY THIS: The chori pollo fajitas ($16.99) come sizzling with tender strips of chicken smothered in chorizo, cheese and an array of cooked vegetables, all served with Mexican rice, refried beans, pico de gallo and guacamole. 657 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-920-1759, elmesonohio.com

DARBY’S ON 59

WHY WE LOVE IT: This gastropub blends a casual neighborhood vibe with an elevated dining experience. The interior features warm lighting, a circular bar and comfortable leather seating, and the large outdoor patio offers a sprawling, scenic space to enjoy craft beers and cocktails. Unique igloo dining in the winter provides private, heated seating for a patio experience amid the snow and cold.

TRY THIS: With an expansive menu known for casual classics like crispy calamari ($14) and filet mignon sliders ($7.50), and seasonal dishes like pan-seared scallops with pumpkin risotto ($37), Darby's provides a meal that accommodates any dining preference. 2764 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-922-7540, darbyson59.com

FLURY’S CAFE

WHY WE LOVE IT: Frozen in time, this diner looks the same as it did when it first opened in 1968. Vintage trinkets, paintings and clocks cover the walls of the cozy, corner cafe. A small pink counter looks like something out of a movie, and the staff is kind and friendly. All-day breakfast can satify any craving while you grab a quick bite or catch up with friends.

TRY THIS: The hand-dipped milkshakes ($6.95) are a cure-all for any bad day. The nostalgic treat comes in a variety of flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, cherry, peanut butter and more. Served in a retro-style glass, the remainder of the shake is also brought out in the metal container it was spun. 2202 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-929-1315, fluryscafe.com

HIBACHI JAPAN

WHY WE LOVE IT: This Japanese steakhouse offers a lively dining experience, featuring traditional hibachi-style cooking, where chefs prepare meals on a hot grill right at your table. The restaurant serves a variety of traditional hibachi dishes, including steak, chicken, seafood and sushi. The fun and interactive atmosphere makes it a popular spot for families, friends, teams, tourists and parties. But for those wanting to keep to themselves for an evening, bar seating offers drinks without the full hibachi menu.

TRY THIS: Get everything in one bite with the Hibachi filet mignon, lobster tail combination entree ($34), which comes with soup, salad, a shrimp appetizer, fried rice, green tea and pineapple sherbet. 1803 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-928-3333, hibachijapancf.com

LEO’S ITALIAN SOCIAL

WHY WE LOVE IT: This traditional Italian spot is perfect for a casual bite or a special night out. The interior is decorated with rustic wood paneling, bright lighting and two bars, along with an outdoor patio perfect for a quick lunch with friends. A discounted “social hour” from 3-6 p.m. during the week keeps things lively, and a rotating menu keeps things fresh, mindful of those seeking gluten-free or low-carb options.

TRY THIS: Whipped ricotta ($10) with fresh herbs, lemon, honey, pistachios and grilled bread is a light yet filling choice. If you’re in the mood for something stronger, try Leo’s special take on a Sicilian Mule ($13) with a signature housemade limoncello. 2251 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-400-4427, leositaliansocial.com

MATTIOLI’S PIZZA

WHY WE LOVE IT: This ghost kitchen serves traditional pasta, meatballs and desserts — plus specialty pizzas with unlikely toppings such as figs, pears and pickles, and their signature pizza cupcakes. “We try to be different. Everybody has fried calamari; we have it sauteed in our own specialty spicy sauce,” says Patrick Ahern, operating partner. The inside is compact but perfect for a grab-and-go meal. Bright colors feed into the Italian theme to tie the concept together.

TRY THIS: If you’re feeling adventurous, switch up your plain pizza order for the prosciutto and arugula pizza ($22), served with truffle oil, goat cheese, arugula, prosciutto, balsamic reduction, truffle oil and honey. 1846 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-810-1551, mattiolispizza.com

The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake takes holiday festivities to a higher level. From Thanksgiving, to our annual guest favorite Light up The Lodge Weekend, to ringing in the New Year. The brightest celebrations are found in Ohio Wine Country. Gather your favorite people and spend a special season by the lake.

MISSING MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.

WHY WE LOVE IT: This multi-tiered patio and bar sits right on the river bank, perfect for a scenic night out.

An expansive beer selection taps inspiration from across the country. “We typically have 16 to 20 beers on tap at all times, and we’re typically IPA heavier with both hazy and West

Coast style,” says Keith McFarlane, company founder and head brewer. Enjoy an IPA on the year-round patio, ideal for those warmer autumn days. TRY THIS: The artisanal pretzel ($8), handmade and served with a side of beer cheese, makes a perfect pairing with a draft flight, including four 5-ounce pours ($2.50$3.25 each) of anything on tap. 2811 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 234-706-2212, missingmountain.com

MOE’S

WHY WE LOVE IT: For over two decades, this well-established tavern has offered a rotating menu of fresh seafood, lamb and unique appetizers in the Falls. “I was the first one down here. It’s been 26 years, and we still make everything from scratch,” says restaurant owner Moe Schneider. “I felt like we should not

have to drive to Cleveland to get better food in our neighborhood.” TRY THIS: Be sure to try the braised short rib sliders ($15) with white cheddar, house-made horseradish cream and crispy fried onions. 2385 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-928-6600, moesrestaurant.com

OHIO BREWING CO.

WHY WE LOVE IT: This spacious microbrewery fits 400 guests over three levels of seating, a lively outdoor patio and an arcade bar. Food offerings include pub-style fare, such as burgers and wings. TRY THIS: Manager Gionni Brown says the three-cheese macaroni and cheese ($14.99) made with Parmesan, Gouda and Swiss is a fan-favorite, alongside spicy stuffed Hungarian peppers ($12.99) 2250 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 234-208-6243, ohiobrewing.com

Saturday, 11/23/24, 10:00 am, OPEN HOUSE Thursday, 12/12/24, 7:00 pm, Parent Visit (Virtual) Toddler – Grade 8 | Lyndhurst Campus

Saturday, 11/2/24, 1:00 pm, OPEN HOUSE Grades 9 – 12 | Gates Mills Campus Mastery School

Saturday, 11/9/24, 1:00 pm, OPEN HOUSE Grades 9 – 12 | University Circle Campus

TIKI UNDERGROUND

WHY WE LOVE IT: This hidden gem transports you to a tropical oasis, with porthole windows, netted ceilings, a volcano at the entryway and chairs designed as shipping crates. Old movies on the TVs keep things fun and nostalgic, and the limitless drink list taps 1940s-style inspiration. Dozens of tiki cocktails incorporate house syrups, freshly-squeezed

THE BLUE DOOR CAFE & BAKERY

juices and beautiful garnishes, served in themed glassware, and food is prepared daily by One Bite Kitchen. “Everything is made fresh, in-house, dayof,” says manager Jessica Murdock.

TRY THIS: The hand-rolled short rib empanadas ($15) are filled with caramelized onions and cheddar cheese, and served with chimichurri crema. 1832 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 234-380-5398, tikiunderground.com

WHY WE LOVE IT: Michael Bruno, chef and owner, has used his 20 years of experience in the Marines to provide an unmatched level of structure and passion to the cafe. Artisan craftsmanship makes it a go-to destination for enthusiasts seeking high-quality food and bakery items.

TRY THIS: Ditch pancakes for the crepe Beef Wellington ($42), which includes made-to-order, savory herbed crepes and d’artagnan Australian grass-fed beef tenderloin, covered in a maple Dijon mustard, creamy mushroom duxelles and hollandaise. 1970 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-926-9774, bluedoorcafebakery.com

Wendy LaForce Zambo wendylaforcezambo@howardhanna.com wendyzambo@oh.rr.com 440-361-0606

SPECTACULAR ESTATE

Elevate Your Lifestyle at 3377 E. Galloway Dr., Richfield

This totally renovated 5-bedroom, 6-bath home is the epitome of luxury and comfort. Nestled in the prestigious Glencarin development in the city of Richfield, this estate is set on a lushly landscaped, picturesque 1.2-acre lot. It offers everything you could ever need and deserve.

Key Features:

Location:

Lot Size:

First Floor

Details:

Bedrooms & Bathrooms: 5 spacious bedrooms and 6 beautifully appointed bathrooms.

Situated in the exclusive Glencarin development, known for its serene and upscale environment.

Expansive 1.2-acre lot with stunning landscaping. Arrive by entering the circular driveway and Portico. You will notice a 4-car garage and studio quarters above the garage.

Expansive Kitchen: A chef’s dream with state-of-the-art appliances, granite countertops, and a large island. The kitchen opens to a beautiful family room, perfect for casual gatherings and everyday living.

Beautiful Dining Room: An elegant space designed for entertaining guests in style.

Master Suite: A luxurious retreat featuring garden view blackout shades, an oversized glamour bath with a soaking tub, custom vanities, and a new shower. The suite also includes a walk-in custom closet with built-ins for abundant storage.

Covered Outdoor Patio: Featuring a gas fireplace, this area allows for seamless indooroutdoor living, perfect for relaxing or entertaining year-round.

Entertainment Extravaganza:

REDUCED $2,750,000

Lower Level: The ultimate entertainment space, featuring a Pub Room and Lounge area.

Indoor Basketball Court: Watch or join in the fun with a half-court indoor basketball setup, viewable from both above and below.

Theatre Room: Enjoy the latest Netflix series or a movie marathon in the large, stateof-the-art theatre room. Full Operating Kitchen and Bar: Perfect for hosting parties or family

ensure a comfortable environment.

Bonus Room/ Studio:

Located above the second garage, this versatile space can be used as a home office, art studio, or guest suite, offering endless possibilities for customization.

THE WATSON SPEAKEASY

WHY WE LOVE IT: Although it may not be known for its food, this speakeasy at the Butcher & Sprout is a great way to keep the night rolling with a certifiably unique drinking experience. Open seven days a week, guests enter through what looks like a post office, and they need to know the special trick to get inside. The decor takes you back to the

THE FARMER'S RAIL

Gilded Age with large paintings in gold frames and a mirror that plays black-and-white movies. Drinks are served in cages and smoke boxes with bubbles, paper planes and so much more. Mocktails made with non-alcoholic spirits are also available. TRY THIS: The Paper Plane ($16) includes whiskey, Amaro Nonino, Aperol and fresh lemon. If you’re looking for something to munch on, try

WHY WE LOVE IT: With an emphasis on “feel good for you food”, this spot has an inviting, homestyle energy. Indoor and outdoor seating, along with a small bar, provides plenty of space for groups and parties. All the meat sold in the display cases up front comes fresh from restaurant owners Jeff and Melanie Brunty’s farm in Ashland. TRY THIS: The TFR Burger ($13) comes stacked with two Brunty Farms ground beef patties, American cheese, pickles, caramelized onions and the house burger sauce. Despite being a classic cheeseburger, the locally sourced, freshly ground patties are the star ingredient. 2231 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-576-3333, thefarmersrail.com

the Butcher’s Plate ($23), a platter of locally cured and smoked meats served with mustards, pickles, olives, local cheese, crostini and local Akron Honey. 1846 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-8010009, watsonspeakeasy.com

SUBSCRIBE

THE WORKZ

WHY WE LOVE IT: Housed in the historic Falls Theatre building, built in the early 1900s, this ultimate entertainment destination features a 5,000-squarefoot arcade with over 20 classic and modern games, plus the fanfavorite duckpin bowling. The Workz shines brightest as a live music venue, hosting performances almost every weekend, drawing a diverse range of musical acts and offering a mix of modern and vintage fun. The combination of music, entertainment and dining creates a high-energy experience that's ideal for groups.

TRY THIS: Get all the fixings with the Workz burger ($15.99). This doublepatty smash burger comes covered in pulled pork, crispy fried onions, house beer cheese and barbecue sauce on a garlic-buttered grilled brioche bun. 2220 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 330-807-8768, playattheworkz.com

YUKI HOUSE

WHY WE LOVE IT: Inspired by owner Jeni Balanay’s passion for her mother’s cooking while growing up in Hawaii, Yuki House serves authentic Thai, hibachi and Hawaiian plates. The atmosphere aims to mimic small shops in Hawaii where guests can visit, eat and relax. “Most hibachi here in Ohio are a bit different than mine. I don’t buy sauce in a bottle. I make it all my own,” Balanay says. The kitchen also crafts classics such as Spam musubi and Hawaiian-style boba milk teas. TRY THIS: This pad thai ($15) is unlike any other, made extra saucy with scrambled eggs, bean sprouts, green onions and a side of peanuts. 1194 Tallmadge Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 234-3347503, facebook.com

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BIGGEST MOMENTS AT ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE

SINCE ITS OPENING WITH A BILLY JOEL CONCERT ON OCT. 17, 1994, WHAT’S NOW KNOWN AS ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE HAS BEEN A HOTBED OF EVENTS. HERE ARE 30 TOP MOMENTS IN THE VENUE’S 30 YEARS.

by vince Guerrieri

1

Nov. 8, 1994, Opening Night: A new era dawned for the Cleveland Cavaliers, with a new home and a new look (the “blue streak” uniforms weren’t universally well-received but engender some nostalgia today). The Cavs fell 100-98 to the defending champion Houston Rockets, thanks to a buzzer-beater.

Jan. 4, 1996: Tupac Shakur debuted the songs on the double album All Eyez On Me in one of his rare stops in Cleveland.

2 March 30, 1995, Mike Tyson returns: Mike Tyson’s ascent in the boxing world was as swift as his decline. After serving three years for a rape conviction, Tyson, who had a mansion in Trumbull County, announced his return at the Gund Arena. 3

4

July 7, 1996, USA Basketball vs. Brazil: The 1992 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team was called the Dream Team for its collection of talent and dominance. The 1996 version sleepwalked through a tuneup game in Detroit but regrouped for a decisive win against Brazil, 109-68. The game is more notorious for what happened in the wee hours: Charles Barkley got in a fight in The Basement, a bar in the Flats.

5

Feb. 9, 1997, NBA All-Star Game: The NBA celebrated its 50th anniversary with a ceremony honoring the league’s top 50 players, and Cleveland was celebrating its new home. Ex-Cav Steve Kerr won the 3-point contest, and the dunk contest was won by a Los Angeles Lakers rookie who would also become an all-time great: Kobe Bryant. The East beat the West 132-120, with Glen Rice the MVP.

6

June 21, 1997, The Rockers take the court: Cleveland was a charter member of the WNBA and lasted seven seasons.

8

March 13, 2002, St. Vincent-St. Mary vs. Warrensville Heights: Before he played for the Cavs, LeBron James could draw a crowd in Cleveland. As a junior at SVSM, his Irish played the Tigers in a regional semifinal at the arena. James scored 16 — pedestrian by his standards; Romeo Travis led SVSM with 31 points. The dazzled crowd of 20,562 is still the most ever to see an Ohio high school game.

7

March 26, 2001, Monday Night Raw: The Worldwide Wrestling Federation had a challenger in World Championship Wrestling — both with Monday night shows, WWF Raw and WCW Nitro. A simulcast was shown in Cleveland, and WWF (now WWE) founder Vince McMahon was stunned to find out that his son Shane had purchased WCW.

9

April 18, 2004, Prince: In what turned out to be his final appearance in Cleveland, the newly minted Rock & Roll Hall of Famer performed for more than two hours on a stop in support of his then-new album, Musicology

Oct. 2, 2004, Vote for Change: Ohio became a stop on a tour organized by MoveOn that brought serious star power to swing states. The lineup at the arena was Bright Eyes, R.E.M. and Bruce Springsteen, with a special appearance by John Fogerty.

June 2, 2007, NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 6: The Cavs always seemed to have someone standing in their way, but in 2007, they finally could not be denied. LeBron James scored 20, and Daniel Gibson scored 31 points in 29 minutes to clinch a 98-82 win and the Cavs’ first NBA Finals appearance. 12

April 22, 2006, Cavs vs. Wizards: LeBron James was living up to the hype. The Cavs were making their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade. Facing a more seasoned (but lower-seeded) Washington Wizards team, James had a triple-double — the third player in NBA history to do so in his playoff debut — in a 97-86 Cavs win.

13

May 22, 2009, NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 2: The Magic had stolen Game 1 of the series, and it looked like they were about to do the same again, as Hedo Turkoglu hit a go-ahead jumper to give Orlando a 95-93 lead with one second left. But Mo Williams inbounded the ball to James, who hit a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to send Cavs fans home happy.

14 15

April 15, 2011, Rush: The Canadian rock band got an early boost in Cleveland, and in tribute, their stop here on the Time Machine tour was recorded and released as a CD and DVD. The hook for the tour was playing the entire Moving Pictures album cover-to-cover, and the band closed with “Working Man,” the song that found heavy rotation in WMMS.

16

April 13, 2011: Cavs announcer Joe Tait retires after 39 seasons.

Aug. 23, 2014, ArenaBowl XXVII:

Like its predecessor in Richfield, the arena was home for indoor football. In 2008, the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League relocated to Cleveland. The team hovered around .500, but in 2014, it put it all together, going 17-1 and setting a record for most wins in an AFL season. The arena hosted the championship game, where the Arizona Rattlers beat the Gladiators 72-32 for their third consecutive title.

Oct. 30, 2014, LeBron comes home: After four years in Miami, LeBron James stunned many by announcing (in a Sports Illustrated article and NOT with a live ESPN special) that he was returning to the Cavaliers. His first game back was a 95-90 loss to the Knicks, but the party atmosphere throughout Downtown was a sign of epic things to come. 17

18

March 28, 2015, Notre Dame vs. Kentucky: The NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament had stopped here before, but in 2015, it hosted the regional round. Unbeaten Kentucky hammered West Virginia, and Notre Dame beat Wichita State, setting up a game in which the Irish gave the Wildcats all they had. Andre Harrison hit two free throws with six seconds left for the 68-66 Kentucky win.

June 11, 2016, Calder Cup Finals, Game 4: For decades, Cleveland was a hockey hub, and since it opened, the arena has hosted a variety of minor-league teams. Since 2007, it’s been the (first Lake Erie, then Cleveland) Monsters of the American Hockey League. In 2016, the Monsters brought home Cleveland’s first Calder Cup since the Barons did so in 1964, beating the Hershey Bears in a sweep.

19

June 3, 2015: Taylor Swift visits with her 1989 tour, marking her crossover from country to pop.

Downtown destiny

Moving the Cavaliers back Downtown as part of a neighborhood block turned out to be great for the city’s entertainment and the NBA franchise’s success.

The fall of 1994 saw a party in Downtown Cleveland that was 20 years in the making.

Playhouse Square was bringing new life to the eastern edge of Downtown, but in general, the city center had a reputation as a place where people didn’t come at night.

Richfield had been the epicenter of Cleveland indoor sports and concerts since 1974. The town, about 20 miles south, was in Summit County, not even Cuyahoga. The nickname legendary announcer Joe Tait bestowed on the Coliseum: “the palace on the prairie.”

But in 1994, the old Central Market was now the home to an arena and a ballpark. On Oct. 17, the new Gund Arena, named for Cavs owners George and Gordon Gund. The sports complex, the culmination of more than a decade of planning, was “deflowered” by Billy Joel, as he put it at his piano that night, according to a report in The Plain Dealer. (The Richfield Coliseum had been opened by Frank Sinatra.)

Now at 30 years, it’s outlived its predecessor, the Coliseum. Despite going through three names, it hasn’t lasted quite as long as the old Cleveland Arena, but it’s definitely aged better than the place derided by early Cavs players as a big old icehouse in a declining neighbor-

The Gund Arena opened in 1994 and over the years has been the center of Downtown entertainment — and also the home to the Cavaliers, who ended the city’s championship drought in 2016.

hood. Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, as it’s now known, has even reinvented itself, thanks to a $185 million renovation completed in 2019.

“Every year, we think about our arena and our facility as a platform to bring people Downtown and bring people together and unite our community,” says Nic Barlage, the CEO of Rock Entertainment Group, which oversees Dan Gilbert’s sports and entertainment interests in Cleveland.

Cleveland has had a host of sporting and performing arts venues with varied success. Part of the Group Plan was a Public Auditorium, including an auditorium, a music hall and a theater, built in 1922. Fifteen years later, an ice arena opened on Euclid Avenue, with the hopes of luring an NHL team to Cleveland. By the 1960s, both were in states of disrepair.

In 1968, Nick Mileti bought the arena and its main tenant, the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League. He set about to do two things: get an NBA expansion team and find a new place for them to play. There was initially talk of an arena on the lakefront — about where the Great Lakes Science Center and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are now. But Mileti and the Cavs decamped for Richfield to an area Mileti believed would grow into a megalopolis around the Coliseum.

“Once you got in the arena and got inside, it was a first-rate facility,” says Ken Silliman, who worked in three mayoral administrations in Cleveland. “But that last part of the drive was like the Polar Express.”

Meanwhile, the Indians and Browns were playing in Municipal Stadium on the lakefront. Opened in 1931 as the first designed multipurpose stadium, it could still rock for Browns

games and concerts, but the crowds were significantly smaller for the Indians. In the 1980s, talk turned to a new venue, initially a domed, multipurpose stadium for both teams, on the former site of the old Central Market.

But on Nov. 13, 1986, Richard and David Jacobs bought the Indians. Their vision for the team did not include a dome.

“Dick Jacobs had stated in very clear terms that he would only support an open-air baseball facility, and he communicated that to the business leaders that were driving the initiative,” Silliman says.

Municipal and public-private partnership plans are like turning the proverbial battleship, so what happened next happened at comparative light speed, Silliman says. Mike White was elected mayor in 1989, and there were legitimate concerns that the Indians would leave town if a new ballpark wasn’t built. A vote on a Cuyahoga County “sin tax” on alcohol and tobacco was scheduled in May 1990, and very quickly, the project pivoted to a ballpark and an arena, at White’s urging, Silliman says, because it would add to the local economy by bringing the Cavs and other assorted events back Downtown.

“There was an extraordinarily short deadline,” says Silliman, who himself later served as the chairman for Gateway, the entity that oversaw both venues. “You had to negotiate letters of intent with the Indians and Cavaliers, and both were very, very tough negotiators. That was a very intense four months.”

The sin tax passed, by a thin margin. Earth started moving, cement started getting poured and the new ballpark opened in April 1994, followed six months later by the arena.

In addition to the Cavs, who were going

In its current iteration, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has become a hub for conferences and events beyond just professional sports and concerts. “We want to be this international gateway to share everything Cleveland is and Cleveland has,” says Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group.

through a transitional era, from the 1980s teams of Brad Daugherty, Mark Price and Hot Rod Williams to the LeBron James era, Cleveland became home to a WNBA team, the Rockers, in 1997. The Dream Team played a game there before venturing to Atlanta for the 1996 Olympics. Early concerts included acts as varied as Elton John, 2Pac and Garth Brooks, who sold out a 1996 date so quickly that he added three more at the arena.

Events in Cleveland have even branched out beyond sports and concerts. The arena — then called Quicken Loans Arena — hosted the Republican National Convention in 2016, the first time Cleveland had been picked to host a political convention in 80 years. And this summer, Cleveland hosted the American Society of Association Executives, an organization of people whose duties include picking out locations for future conferences and conventions.

In 2019, the arena got a new name, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and a refreshed look. A glass facade gives an entirely different look to the building, and a new atrium added more than 42,000 square feet to the building’s size.

During the restoration, Cleveland was announced as the host of the 2022 All-Star Game. The Cavs hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 1997, which celebrated the NBA’s 50th anniversary; the 2022 game celebrated the league’s 75th anniversary. “And we’re already petitioning for the 100th,” Barlage says.

Downtown is a destination site again — thanks in part to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

“We want to be seen as Cleveland’s living room,” Barlage says. “We want to be this international gateway to share everything Cleveland is and Cleveland has.”

June 16, 2016: The Cavs won the NBA Finals title for the first time in franchise history. 21

Dec. 25, 2016, Cavs vs. Warriors: Christmas has become the marquee day of the NBA regular season. The Cavs-Warriors rematch lived up to it with the Cavs winning on a Kyrie Irving shot with 3.4 seconds left.

22

July 18-21, 2016, Republican National Convention: For the first time in 80 years, Cleveland hosted a political convention. Where the previous two were at Public Auditorium, this one was at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and the city proved a gracious host for a flurry of activity.

June 10, 2017, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Joe Walsh, himself an icon in Northeast Ohio and beyond, opened for the rocker’s 40th-anniversary tour stop in Cleveland, where he played many of the hits that had made him famous. Sadly, it would turn out to be his last tour. A week after it ended in September, Petty died.

25

March 15-17, 2018 NCAA wrestling championships: The arena has proven itself again and again as a great venue for high school and college sports, and this was no exception. The tournament set an attendance record with more than 113,000 people coming through the turnstiles to watch wrestling greats like Kyle Snyder and Spencer Lee win titles, with Penn State taking the team title.

March 11, 2020, MidAmerican Conference Tournament: Another great season of March Madness was on tap, starting with the annual MAC Tournament at the arena. (The men’s NCAA Tournament was scheduled to come to Cleveland the following week.) Women’s games were played in an empty arena in response to concerns about a new strain of coronavirus. The next day, before the first men’s quarterfinal game, between Akron and Ohio, the entire tournament was canceled, as were tournaments for the Big Ten, Southeast Conference and American Conference. It wouldn’t take long for the NCAA Tournament to be canceled, as well.

27

Oct. 30, 2021, Rock & Roll Hall Inductions:

The first induction at the arena (previous Cleveland ceremonies were at Public Hall) featured the most diverse class in history. Taylor Swift kicked things off with a cover of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” written by inductee Carole King. LL Cool J and the Go-Gos, both inductees, performed, and the night closed with Paul McCartney and new inductees the Foo Fighters.

29

For the third time in team history — and the second time at the arena — the Cavs hosted the All-Star Game. The game was hardly a classic (Team LeBron beat Team Durant 163-160), but the festivities around it had grown to encompass a host of events, including the celebration of the NBA’s 75th anniversary. 26

28

Feb. 20, 2022, NBA All-Star Game:

Jan. 2, 2023: Donovan Mitchell‘s 71 points set the team’s singlegame scoring record in a 145-134 win over the Chicago Bulls.

30

April 7, 2024, NCAA Women’s National Championship: Women’s basketball reached an inflection point for this Final Four. The basketball tournament was filled with stars like LSU’s Angel Reese and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, and Connecticut continued its dynastic ways. But it was South Carolina that was the champion over Iowa in the first women’s championship game — which got higher ratings than the men’s game.

What exactly is

Cleveland-Style Pizza?

By Julia Lombardo

Somewhere between paper-thin New York pie and Chicago deep-dish, Cleveland-style pizza has found its footing. But even among Northeast Ohio pizza makers, there is disagreement on exactly what qualifies. One of the earliest mentions is in a 1985 postcard from Santino’s Pizza, formerly in Seven Hills. Owner David Jakupca pens it as “backwards” pizza, starting with cheese, toppings and then sauce, to preserve a crispy, round crust. Mama Roberto’s in Mentor, which legally holds the trademark for Cleveland Style Pizza, has offered that take since 1999. The hometown recipe hit the national zeitgeist in a 2011 Facebook post, when Michael Symon said his favorite Cleveland-style pizza is 1956-classic Geraci’s Restaurant, the University Heights-based

A sharper cheese, such as provolone or finely grated Romano, adds complexity.

There is no debate, at least locally, that Northeast Ohio has its own approach to pizza. So, we set out to define exactly what makes our recipe unique.

Much like our geography, the crust lies between Chicago deep-dish and New York-style thickness.

A

zesty red sauce packed with garlic and herbs is applied with a heavy hand.

chain that represented the hometown pie on TV’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Master Pizza owner Michael LaMarca, whose 1955 takeout spot has grown to 15 locations, also presented the dish as captain of the Pizza World Championships’ U.S. team and as a winner on Hulu’s Best in Dough in 2022. Those restaurants use a sauce-first approach. There are a few things they all agree on, however. The first is the crust, which is bready and “middle-of-the-road thickness,” says Symon. A healthy serving of sauce is heartier and packed with garlic and herbs, such as oregano and basil. And whether piled on top or underneath, the cheese is sharp, provolone or Romano, sometimes mixed with mozzarella. Those offer a “deeper flavor,” says LaMarca. Following these tenets, it’s hard to go wrong. Now, which one is best? That’s for you to decide. “People ask me, ‘What’s the best pizza?’” Mama Roberto’s owner Rick Rhein says. “It always will be the one that you like.”

Saucy

Marc-Aur e l e Buholzer of vero pizza

Wood-fired wisdom

by kate bigam kaput

There was a time when MarcAurele Buholzer, the pizzaiolo of Vero Pizzeria Napoletana, didn’t love pizza. He actively disliked it.

“Back then, Europeans had a different idea of good food than Americans did, and American pizza was all chain restaurants,” says Buholzer, who was born in Switzerland and grew up in Chardon. “Nothing against those places, but it wasn’t what I liked.”

At age 23, though, Buholzer’s pizza perspective was turned upside down. By 2007, Buholzer had been working at Cleveland Heights’ now defunct La Gelateria on and off for eight years. Even the best gelato was a tough sell during frigid Cleveland winters. To supplement the slow season, the owner purchased a wood-fired oven for making Neapolitan-style pizzas. The upscale pizza craze had yet to hit Northeast Ohio, which made the Italian-inspired pies a novelty — and, for Buholzer, a revelation.

“I was introduced to this pizza with fresh toppings: nice herbs and cheese, the most wonderful tomatoes from Italy, a very simple sauce without sugar,” he recalls. “I absolutely loved it.”

One Friday, the pizza maker quit, leaving the shop in a lurch. Buholzer, who had been quietly observing the pizza-making process,

assumed the role. Though he made just 25 pizzas per day, it was a grueling weekend of work — trial by wood fire, if you will. Buholzer found it exhilarating.

“I’d entered into something that is not immediately understood, gained and accomplished,” he says. “I started seeing all the nuances in the process and recognizing that there was more for me to figure out.”

When La Gelateria closed in 2012, Buholzer opened his own restaurant in the space. The original wood-fired oven remained. The name, Vero, is Italian for “true” or “real” — an homage to authenticity in his craft.

Though Vero isn’t a member of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, an Italian association that defines what can be considered Neapolitan pizza, Buholzer is a stickler for its standards. Dough must be made of

Three Oven-Hot Neapolitan Joints

Harlow’s Pizza

Watch dough bubble in the oven at the bar of this cozy Lakewood eatery, focusing on a simple menu of traditional ingredients. harlowspizza.com

Etalian

Owner Eddie Tancredi, formerly of the acclaimed Distill Table, sweats every detail at his Naples-style shop, which sits on the water in Chagrin Falls. etalianpizza.com

Inforno

Following strict Neapolitan standards, New York-native George Goodman started his Avon “pizza studio” as a mobile oven before growing it into a strip-mall gem. infornopizza.com

“A whole different magic occurs because of the high heat,”

— Marc-Aurele Buholzer of Vero Pizzeria Napoletana

water, yeast, salt and Italian flour. Tomatoes must be San Marzano or piennolo, a varietal that grows in the soil of Mount Vesuvius. The only acceptable cheeses are Buffalo mozzarella or cow’s milk mozzarella (fior di latte, in Italian). Importantly, Neapolitan pizza is also cooked at high heat — very high heat, up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. “A whole different magic occurs because of the high heat,” Buholzer says. “The flour reacts differently; the level of water starts changing the way it’s growing. You’re putting the dough on a stage that will very quickly show you any error in your formula.”

In 2021, when Vero closed for takeout-only pandemic service, Buholzer upgraded to a 6,000-pound Acunto, an imported Italian oven made for cooking Neapolitan pizza. Customdesigned in Naples, Buholzer’s boasts “Vero” in custom blackand-white Venetian ceramic tile work, and the building had to be partially remodeled to fit it.

It was worth it, though, allowing Buholzer to level up his skill set. It also paved the way for a bigger Vero expansion in 2024, one that doubled seating capacity and added a beautiful marble bar (plus a full liquor license).

Vero’s pizzas are papery thin in the middle, surrounded by a puffy, raised crust called a cornicione. The dough has taken Buholzer more than a decade to perfect. He uses non-GMO European flour and a ratio of nearly 80% hydration. The wet dough can be tricky to handle. He also rejects commercial yeast, turning to a longcultivated SCOBY — a culture

of bacteria and yeast that breaks down complex carbohydrates and makes the dough lighter.

“High hydration and natural leavening both help aid in easier-to-digest dough,” Buholzer says. “That’s why, after you eat my dough, you don’t feel heavy an hour later.”

Vero’s pizza menu is divided up simply: tomato-based and white. There are the Neapolitan classics, like two versions of Margherita ($24 and $26) and a bianca with just garlic, mozzarella and fresh basil ($22). Somehow, though, all of Buholzer’s pies seem like Old World Italian classics, even when he goes for variation with offerings like the Oro Affumicato (“smoked gold”), featuring yellow tomatoes and a smoky provolone. Another perpetual favorite, the Milk and Honey ($26), includes a farm egg and a drizzle of hot honey; one online reviewer observed with awe that eating it was “like having breakfast, lunch and dessert at the same time.”

It’s not hard to see why the restaurant’s regulars have been coming to Vero since Buholzer’s time at the gelato shop. The quality has never faltered. Singularly focused and never bored, Buholzer cherishes the opportunity to keep growing in his craft — and he welcomes the challenge.

“I find myself in the process of making the dough, in the process of experimenting, in the process of repetition,” Buholzer says. “If you consider what monks do … it’s just repetition, whether it be repeating a mantra, a prayer, a routine or an activity. It’s that repetition that allows us to start breathing a little more freely.”

Vincent Morelli’s wood-fired pizza joint has quickly become one of Ohio City’s hippest eateries since opening in 2021. Stop inside the stylish spot for perfectly composed flavors.

To Dip, or Not To Dip?

by Dillon stewart

Since a Nebraskan plumber invented Hidden Valley Ranch in 1949, the creamy, herby dressing has become a Midwestern staple. We put it on everything, including pizza.

Scoffing New Yorkers say we’re just trying to mask subpar pie. But between the elite coasts, Dallas Neapolitan pizza restaurant Cane Rosso taunts customers with a $1,000 charge for ordering the white stuff.

And it’s not only a Midwest phenomenon. Newspapers in Texas and California show some of the earliest references to the pairing. In 1994, Domino’s Pizza began promoting it nationwide as an accompaniment to its pizza and wings.

Arthur Bovino, who writes about and researches all things pizza, says he’s often accused of “having an open mind” for a New Yorker. The co-host of the Pizza Pod Party podcast says ranch is, at its best, working in contrast by adding a creamy, “herby zip” to a spicy red sauce or pepperoni.

“It’s not my default,” he says. “But you know, the poor craftsmanship and inferior ingredients

of dollar slices are a bigger crime against pizza in my worldview.

“It’s better than leaving pizza bones,” he adds.

“Cheffed-up” versions are essential. Ohio City’s cool kid Cent’s Pizza & Goods makes it in-house, and Cleveland Pizza Co. in Mentor, Bainbridge and Willowick bottles and sells it.

Ben Bebenroth, owner of Boom’s Pizza in Lakewood and Van Aken, blames our desire to dip on our “bombed out palates.” The chef has even created a lighter alternative with his take on toum. The Lebanese condiment of whipped garlic and ice water, lemon juice, salt and sunflower oil gets freaked with chili crisps or pesto and herbs.

“I just don’t think pizza needs more saturated fat,” says Bebenroth, relenting that he understands our desire for a sweet and sour tang with a savory slice’s bitter, umami flavor.

So, each week, he proudly stirs up a house-made recipe of fresh herbs and creamy goodness — despite his anti-dipping stance.

“If you like it,” he says, “who am I to judge?”

Personal Style

NEAPOLITAN

The New Yorker Citizen’s Pie

Light wheat or sourdough crust in wood-fired oven

Topped with fresh basil, mozzarella and tomato

NEW YORK Pepperoni City Slice Hand-tossed thin crust with crispy edges Mozzarella cheese

OHIO

Pepperoni

Ohio Pie Co.

Thin, sturdy crust

Edge-to-edge toppings

Sauce drizzled on top

Square-cut slices

DEEP-DISH

Cheese

Congin’s

Thick, tall crust

Generous helping of cheese between layers of chunky red sauce

Parmesan sprinkles

CLEVELAND

Hot Tito’s

Geraci’s Slice Shop

Sharper cheese, provolone or Romano

Medium crust

Spicy, herby sauce

SICILIAN

Portobello Palermo

Angelo’s Pizzeria LoSchiavo

Spongy rectangle crust

With or without cheese

Heavy toppings, such as mushrooms or anchovies

Geraci’ s n e x t uponBuildschapter

Family Legacy

by dillon stewart

Frances and Michael Geraci worked hard: Frances at the West Side Market and Michael at the Northern Ohio Produce Terminal. They loved each other dearly but were like oil and water, says grandson Bucky Spoth.

But in 1956, inspired by a pizzeria experience in Columbus, they came to quick agreement on the ride home: We’re opening an Italian restaurant with an open kitchen that makes customers feel like they’re part of the family.

“My grandfather was a veteran — strict, militant and feared by many; my grandmother was loved by everyone,” says Bucky Spoth. “That is the dynamic of Geraci’s: the hard-nosed, no-frills Italian father and the sweet, loving mother who has nurtured so many as they came to eat or to work for her.”

Sixty-eight years later, Frances and Michael’s opposing strengths prove oil and water make a delicious mix. Now owned by daughter Marti Geraci Spoth and her husband Gregory Spoth, the flagship University Heights restaurant is operated by grandson Patrick Brown and has grown to four locations of its traditional full-service eatery and two Geraci’s Slice Shops. Growing up, Bucky Spoth tried to avoid working with his parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and “hundreds of friends.” Now, partnering with restaurateur Jason Beudert, he’s been instrumental in The Slice Shop Downtown, where the Geraci’s spirit meets New York slices and a fun, ’80s-themed, fast-casual dining room.

“My grandparents would think that it’s really cool that we’ve planted our flag in Downtown Cleveland,” Bucky Spoth says, “but they would caution us to not lose sight of who we are, to make sure we’re carrying out those traditions and to treat our customers right.”

Three generations strong

Three Legacy Pizza Shops

Longo’s Pizza

Joe Longo Jr. and Tina Greci have grown their father’s 55-year-old Mentor business to two pizzerias, the upscale Pastina Rustic Italian and a catering business. longospizza.com

Eliseo’s Pizza & Fran’s Pizza

Two longtime pizza shops — Elisio’s Pizza (1976) and Yala’s Pizza (1954), later Fran’s — now converge under one roof with a drive-through in Lorain. eliseospizza.com

Luigi’s Pizza

This cash-only 1949 Akron joint is as well known for the piles of mozzarella cheese on its house Italian salad as for its pan-style pizza, where the dairy overload continues. luigisrestaurant.com

The upscale Il Rione opened a simplified slice shop in the tiny pizza kitchen next door to Edison’s Pub. Expect the same beloved NYC-style recipe at the casual Tremont outpost.

Location Key EAST SIDE WEST SIDE DOWNTOWN SOUTH

t o teg p iz z a tonight? how to find Start Here First of all, How Hungry Are You? I could eat Just a slice for me ...I’m feeling a calzone

*Sigh* excuse you. this is the pizza issue. (But you can find some here)

the perfect pie

I have dietary Restrictions I want something more ModernDewey’s PizzaDina’s Pizza & PubOlde Town Pizza HouseTavern of Little ItalyGeraci’s slice shopLa PizzeriaLil Ronnie’sRascal House

You’re in luck! There are lots of great options. What vibe are you going for? I’m going old school

I’ve got a group It’s date night on the wild side stick to the classics We’re taking the whole fam It’s date night I’m a vegetarian/vegan I need Gluten-free Sure! Maybe another time How about a romantic stroll throuhLittleItaly?A Slice AboveJolly’s PizzaNoce Gourmet PizzaOhio Pie Co.Pizza 216 Best Deals Biggest Menu most locations3 Palms PizzeriaCitizen PiePizza WhirlSalted DoughSauced Wood Fired PizzaScorpacciata Pasta Co.La Dolce VitaMama Santa’sMaxi’s BistroMia Bella RestaurantTavern of Little ItalyTrattoria Roman GardenCrustPizzeria DiLauroXYZ the TavernMarket Garden BrewpubCent’s Pizza + GoodsChatty’s PizzeriaETalianHarlow’s PizzaIl RioneVero Pizza NapoletanaGina’s PizzaMarket Garden BrewpubOhio Pie Co.Primoz PizzeriaSol Pie PizzaAltieri’s PizzaBoom’s PizzaGeppetto’s Pizza & RibsSage Karma KitchenSaucy Brew WorksSol Pie Pizza *Call ahead to know each restaurant’s gluten-free safety protocolsPizza BOGOGuys Pizza Co.Napoleon’s PizzaRomito’s PizzaSainato’s at RivergateLongo’s PizzaLorenzo’s PizzeriaRusso’s PizzaAntonio’s PizzaGionino’s PizzeriaRomeo’s Pizza For a guide to Northeast Ohio’s best pizzerias, visit

CAROL MCCABE HAS taken the stage as Mary Ann from The Love Boat, played an old-time radio critic inspired by Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper and portrayed the angel in Through the Looking Glass.

Fun Times!

Move over, pinochle. Seniors are redefining retirement by test-driving different hobbies and programs.

BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

She never acted a day in her life until she joined Rocky River Senior Center’s play readers group, which initially started as reading scripts — and now is a full-fledged theater troupe.

“I always wanted to be on stage, but I felt like I didn’t have the time and thought I might not be able to do it,” says McCabe, who retired from her principal position in 1995 and spent the first years of her next chapter traveling with her husband and volunteering.

She laughs, “There is a bit of drama in me I wasn’t aware of!”

That said, all of her siblings had been

involved in theater — she is the secondyoungest of 10.

Aside from the camaraderie and social side of practice and cast parties, McCabe says the group is supportive by nature. “When something goes wrong, you help each other out and ‘come to the rescue’ if someone misses a line,” she says.

Memorizing lines is a mental exercise. For some time, her husband was in the group and inspired McCabe with his diligence. “He practiced several times a day and he always had the lines,” she says.

McCabe has tried all sorts of different hobbies and activities that were brand new to her since getting involved at the senior center. She was president of its council, helped serve lunches, and is always first to volunteer. She had to quit tap dancing because it got rough on the knees. But her dance card is full

of other activities anyway — like zip lining.

“I signed up for the day trip and didn’t think twice, then the day came, and I thought, Do I really want to do this?” McCabe relates. “There were seven zip lines, and it was a whole lot of fun. I would do it again, I think.”

A FRESH PURPOSE

From French language classes to Zentangle, or extreme doodling, a host of fitness classes and dance, including jazz, there are seemingly endless ways to try something new, connect with peers and find a sense of purpose in every day in this modern community hub.

“This isn’t your grandma’s senior

center,” says Deborah Huff, Rocky River’s director of senior services.

Older adults with departed spouses establish new connections and emerge from a fog of loss. Isolated individuals who might not see or speak to anyone on a given day break out of the doldrums. During a time in life when

Helping Rocky River Residents Return Home

Helping our Residents Return Home

longtime circles of friends and family shrink, gaining new social connections is important, Huff says.

“When you’re retired, you are also faced with, How do I structure my day? and redefining yourself, especially if you defined yourself by your career,” Huff says. “You never want someone to feel like because they stopped working or are no longer the parent of a child living at home, their life doesn’t have

Isolated individuals who might not see or speak to anyone throughout a given day break out of the doldrums. During a time in life when longtime circles of friends and family shrink, gaining new social connections is important.

meaning. Our programs give them that sense of purpose, which we know is really critical for feeling productive, especially as you hit your 80s and 90s.”

Laverne Simerale structures her day around various programs she loves at the North Olmsted Senior Center. “This is like my home away from home,” she says, having been involved for the last 15 years. “You know what it does? I get up in the morning; I know I have to go to yoga and be there by 9 a.m., and I’m ready.”

Simerale has sampled all kinds of different activities. She was never much of a crafter. But Laugh and Learn art classes, with music filling a room of about 20 others with varying levels of dexterity, have resulted in creative projects. She’s built crafts like a gnome door hanger that “is really cute,” a decoupage vase, an Easter wreath and a bird painting she gave to her sister.

Then, there was Simerale’s run with chair volleyball. The center’s administrator, Tiffany Hunt, says the main rule is “one cheek in the seat at all times.” Teams of a dozen players sit in wheelchairs. They serve, pass, spike and block a beach ball.

There’s a referee, trophies and a rib dinner for the winners. Before the pandemic, senior centers teams volleyed for wins.

Sure, you’ve got bingo — and Simerale wouldn’t miss it. “That is why I don’t do low-impact Irish dancing because it’s at the same time,” she quips, though friends at the center repeatedly coax her to join them. “They say, ‘C’mon, Lovie …’”

No one at the center calls her Laverne. “I go to bingo not to win, but to entertain,” says Simerale, who ran a cleaning business called Laverne & Shirley for 22 years, tidying up about

50 houses a month, mostly homes of senior center members. So in many ways, her involvement at the center has rounded full circle.

“It’s inspiring to see how much our seniors can still do,” Hunt says. “You can be in your 90s doing Irish dance and bowling, and it makes members feel more positive about aging.”

‘LIVE IT UP!’

“If you rest, you rest,” a member of Ernfelt Senior Center in Strongsville told Sheena Wright, senior services coordinator.

“We have so many people who are always thanking us, saying, ‘If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t get off my couch,’” says Wright.

An ever-evolving menu of programs, activities and outings accommodates a spectrum of ages from the newly re-

tired to a member who’s still playing softball at age 95 and beyond.

The center also mixes in multigenerational offerings, such as Technology with Teens. The school system’s sixth-graders help seniors navigate things like taking a selfie, capturing a screenshot and turning off pesky popup ads.

“A gentleman was walking around with his neighbor’s phone number in his pocket hoping he wouldn’t lose it, and he didn’t know how to program the number,” Wright recounts. “A student helped him and it changed his whole day.”

Wright urges adult children to introduce senior centers and other recreational environments to aging parents.

“Retirement is a privilege that not everyone gets,” she points out. “You’ll hear an unfortunate story of someone who passed away before they could

CARE IS ALL WE DO

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retire. Live it up! Enjoy it. Becoming an older adult isn’t what it used to be. People are having a lot of fun.”

Just ask Mike Brady. At 85, he is a prolific jewelry artisan. It’s a hobby he picked up about 15 years ago, when he bought some tools, beads and books, watched tutorials and taught himself.

Brady is retired from LTV/Republic Steel, where he was a police officer for 34 years. “I was nearing my exit date, and when I left the house for work, I got stuck behind a school bus,” he recalls. “So, I went up an applied for a job.”

He drove a bus equipped for students with physical and developmental disabilities before retiring again 15 years later.

Now, jewelry is his jam.

“Everything I make is one of a kind,” he says, noting one exception: a pair of identical necklaces for his two sisters

to mark their mother’s passing. He estimates his wife probably has about 100 pairs of his earrings.

Brady sells the jewelry at home parties, gives them away for raffles, and

“Whether it’s starting a new career, pursuing a longdormant passion or traveling to far-flung destinations, age is no longer a barrier to living life to its fullest. Older adults are empowered to chart their own course and redefine what it means to age gracefully.”

– Lee Ann O’Brien, marketing officer at McGregor Senior Living

otherwise has grown a following by word of mouth.

Hunt points out, “There are so many things you can do at various stages of life.”

And in so many ways, life actually begins at age 60, maintains Lee Ann O’Brien, marketing officer at McGregor Senior Living.

“Having navigated through various life stages, individuals at this age and beyond have a deeper understanding of themselves: their strengths, weaknesses, passions and purpose,” O’Brien says. “Whether it’s starting a new career, pursuing a longdormant passion or traveling to far-flung destinations, age is no longer a barrier to living life to its fullest. Older adults are empowered to chart their own course and redefine what it means to age gracefully.”

A New Standard of Senior Living

Experience vibrant senior living at Rose Senior Living Avon and Rose Senior Living Beachwood. Our welcoming communities prioritize comfort, care, and community above all else. With thoughtfully designed accommodations and a range of amenities, residents can enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle tailored to their needs. Embrace a warm, inviting atmosphere where every day brings new opportunities for connection and happiness. Welcome to Rose Senior Living – where you’ll find a place to call home.

Continue your life story at Rose Senior Living

Come notice the warm welcoming feeling of family and home. We look forward to showing you around our campuses!

Contact Us Today!

Ohio Living Breckenridge Village

36851 Ridge Road, Willoughby 440-942-4342 ohioliving.org

DISCOVER THE LIFESTYLE YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR through our array of housing options, from ranch homes to brownstones to apartments tailored precisely to your tastes and needs. Our life plan community invites you to embrace your unique journey, supported by customizable amenities and services that give you freedom from daily chores, foster personal growth and provide peace of mind knowing that top-tier care is at your fingertips.

Experience comprehensive care for all stages within one community campus that nurtures your physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Immerse yourself in a diverse range of activities, from exhilarating fitness classes to tranquil moments in one of our 11 libraries. Unleash your creativity through artistic pursuits or engage with our enriching lifelong learning and spiritual programs.

“Our tenured professional staff are the experts in anticipatory service, healthy culinary options, robust activities and care,” says Lynn Coletto, director of business development. “After one month of joining our family, one of our residents stated she feels like she is on vacation every day! She was also relieved that upon moving in, she had an unexpected health scare and was appreciative of how quickly our health team took care of her needs. She could not imagine living in a better community.”

KEY INFO

Number of Facilities: 1

Location: Willoughby

Services: Lifeplan Community with Independent Living; Assisted Living; Long-Term Care; Memory Care; Ohio Living Concierge at Home; Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice; Rehabilitation

At Ohio Living Breckenridge Village, the possibilities are endless. It's more than just a residence; it's a thriving community designed for you to live life exactly as you wish. What are you waiting for? Put your plan in place today.

Judson Park 2181 Ambleside Drive, Cleveland Heights Judson Manor 1890 E. 107th St., University Circle South Franklin Circle 16600 Warren Court, Chagrin Falls Judson at Home Membership Program 216-298-1025

judsonsmartliving.org

JUDSON SENIOR LIVING, A NORTHEAST OHIO NOT-FORPROFIT SINCE 1906, fosters a vibrant community where residents lead active and fulfilling lives. Committed to proactive aging, Judson connects residents to resources, inspires creativity and encourages meaningful engagement. Here are some examples of inspiring residents who are dynamic contributors to the community.

KEY INFO

Number of Facilities: 3

Locations: Judson Manor; Judson Park; South Franklin Circle; Judson at Home Membership Program

Services: Independent Living; Assisted Living; Memory Care; Short-term Rehabilitation; Long-term Skilled Nursing; Hospice; Home Care; Judson at Home Membership Program

COMING BACK TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Carol Markey’s life has been guided and enriched by her involvement in communities. That’s what led this retired Judson Foundation vice president back to South Franklin Circle, the vibrant senior neighborhood in Chagrin Falls that she had once helped to plan.

After 13 years in Florida, Carol returned with Andrew (her handsome dog) to Chagrin Falls to be near family, friends, and her Judson community. “There are people here I have known from all parts of my life,” she adds thoughtfully, “and wonderful people I had never before met. I have a good, supportive community at South Franklin Circle, and I have to say, it feels just great.”

AN INSPIRING NEW PASSION

Although the rich artistic programming was not what drew Jean Sylak to Judson Park, it connected her to the community, inspired creativity, and gave her a sense of freedom she had never experienced before moving to Judson with her tiny dog, Ginger.

Jean was a school administrator in Shaker Heights, and never touched art. Curious about Judson’s offerings, she decided to visit the art studio and take some classes. “When I got here, I had so much freedom to express myself. All these ideas just came out of my head,” Jean laughs. Ginger now has a little bed in the Judson Park art studio, where Jean spends most of her days getting lost in creativity. “I’m enjoying every minute!” she says. “It gives me so much opportunity for expression and a way to connect with others.”

A NEW HOME ON MY TERMS

Ask Mary Alice Valvoda why she moved to Judson Manor, and you’ll get a straight answer. “Don’t become a prisoner in a beautiful museum (your own house),” Mary Alice says. “The house was managing me rather than me managing the house,” she quips. She decided it was time to move while she was calling the shots.

Important to Mary Alice was finding an apartment that allowed space for her business and passion, MAVZPIX, a photo art studio for restoring and transforming photos into professional prints. All fell into place, and now she runs her business from Judson. “My favorite part about living at Judson is that everyone is so friendly,” she says. “The variety of people here and the vast knowledge makes this a very special place. It’s a warm, enriching environment.”

McGregor

14900 Private Drive, Cleveland 216-851-8200 mcgregoramasa.org

MCGREGOR SENIOR LIVING: YOUR JOURNEY IS PERSONAL. WE HELP YOU GET THERE. McGregor is a name Clevelanders have lived by for more than 148 years is committed to individual choices by providing options, guidance and support along life’s journey. McGregor is fully prepared to meet senior living needs now and, in the future, allowing many to secure their plans in a senior living community that brings together lifelong care. McGregor has evolved in ways that both support and extend the original vision imagined by its founders. Most significantly, the organization has transformed from being a physical site-based organization to one that serves more people, with a variety of income levels, in a wider region through a variety of different services. In May 2024, the McGregor board and leadership

embarked upon a process to evaluate how it presents itself to its stakeholders to clearly articulate the impact and intentions of the organization.

Recognized by CMS as a 5-star community, McGregor is nestled on a 45-acre campus among trees, gardens and walking paths inviting seniors and their families to explore a community that helps navigate the choices and opportunities throughout the continuum. Five levels of care services, one place. McGregor operates McGregor Assisted & Independent Living and The Gardens of McGregor — all on the main campus, which also provides rehabilitative services, nursing care and hospice, with a history of over a century of distinguished care for seniors. Located just minutes away from University Circle, residents have access to art, music, and philanthropic attractions, as well as world-renowned health care at Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Metro Health, and Cleveland VA Medical Center. Established as one of Cleveland’s first private rest homes, McGregor is one of the best places in the nation to discover connection and purpose with guidance, support and options to choose what’s right for you.

A healthcare safety net like no other senior living community in Ohio, should healthcare finances run out,

KEY INFO

Number of Facilities: 7

Locations: McGregor; McGregor Assisted & Independent Living; The Gardens of McGregor; McGregor Hospice; PACE locations in Warrensville Heights, Old Brooklyn and Forest Hill

Services: Life Plan Community; Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

McGregor is Ohio’s only provider of the Program of Allinclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) providing additional options for support. No other senior living community in Ohio keeps PACE like we do.

After more than a decade serving seniors in Cuyahoga County, McGregor, the only provider of the PACE [Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly] in the State of Ohio announces its expansion into Lorain County.

McGregor PACE Elyria is now open in its temporary location at 424 Earl Court behind the Wesleyan Village until its new adult day health center is completed in Spring 2025. The center will be located near route 57 and Leona Street across from the former Midway Mall. McGregor PACE uses a community-based approach, enabling older adults to remain among familiar surroundings while receiving the help they need, whether on our campus or in the community. McGregor is helping older adults and families age successfully in the place they call “home” through McGregor’s services and supports through our managed care organization.

The McGregor Foundation continues its mission by providing support to all of Cuyahoga County and beyond through philanthropy that enables programs, services, and resources to continue to be available. The foundation’s priorities include Advocacy, Growth, Quality of Care, Workforce. Staff development exists through our ‘Earn and Learn’ program for those working with seniors to create a viable pathway of work and a more accessible ladder to higher paying positions in the nonprofit sector for those looking to make a difference in a career. The McGregor Foundation, established in 2002, was incorporated as Ohio’s only private grantmaking foundation solely focused on the needs of the economically disadvantaged and elderly. Since its inception, it has provided 755 grants to 140 organizations, totaling more than $18.million in contributions.

When it comes to finding the right lifestyle choice and recognizing the need for more affordable housing choices, McGregor is expanding options for a growing senior community. McGregor’s Assisted Living community offers (90) private and affordable living options within its standard market rate facility. Subsequently, (54) affordable Independent Living units opened September 2023, offering amenities and comforts that allow those residents to be a part of a vibrant and enriched way of life. Our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and customer satisfaction has been the driving force behind our success. Throughout the year, we have continued to invest in cuttingedge technologies foster a culture of collaboration, enhance the culture withing our organization and adapt to evolving needs of our dynamic market. Together we are shaping the future of our community.

Jennings

8736 Brecksville Road, Brecksville 10980 Pine Grove Trail, Chardon 10204 Granger Road, Garfield Heights 5500 Beacon Court, Maple Heights 16301 Chagrin Blvd., Shaker Heights 216-581-2900 jenningsohio.org

JENNINGS IS A PREMIER CATHOLIC PROVIDER of residences and services for Northeast Ohio’s aging adults of all faiths. Whether an individual is seeking independent or supported living — or services to help a loved one remain at home — Jennings has the choices you need across a full continuum of care.

All-private residences, modern style, individualized comforts and exceptional amenities help adults live the life they deserve. For more than 80 years, Jennings has served Northeast Ohio’s adults with values, quality and innovation. Jennings also serves as a training site for local academic institutions and hosts numerous visitors wishing to replicate our design features, equipment choices, electronic medical records systems, safe movement programs, workforce development models, dementia programming, intergenerational programming and affordable senior housing.

KEY INFO

Number of Facilities: 5

Locations: Brecksville; Chardon; Garfield Heights; Maple Heights; Shaker Heights

Services: Adult Day Services; Assisted Living; Home Care; Hospice; Independent Living; Long-term Care; Memory Care; Respite Care; Short-term Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation; Small House Living

Matt Kaulig opens both his wallet and his heart to the causes he cares about — and hopes to inspire others to do the same.

“WE WALK

THE WALK WE REALLY WANT THIS COMMUNITY

Paul Martin Kaulig Companies, CFO & Board Member, The Kaulig Foundation

Tim Clepper Kaulig Companies, President & Chief Executive Officer

Lisa Kaulig Samantha’s Gift of Hope, Founder & The Kaulig Foundation, Board Member

Stacey Langal Kaulig Companies, Vice President of Philanthropy & The Kaulig Foundation, Executive Director

Gretchen Shurman

Kaulig Giving, Philanthropy Coordinator

AND TALK THE TALK.

TO BE THE BEST PLACE IT CAN BE.”

Jeff O’Brien First Tee of Akron, Executive Director

Joey Sorace Kaulig Media, PR Coordinator

Tom Heines Empower Sports, Executive Director

Ben Curtis Ben Curtis Family Foundation, Founder

Candace Curtis Ben Curtis Family Foundation, Founder & Executive Director

MATT KAULIG

THE GIVING SPREE

Matt Kaulig opens both his wallet and his heart to the causes he cares about — and hopes to inspire others to do the same.

MATT KAULIG DOESN’T BELIEVE in writing a check and moving on.

That’s why — after the success of LeafFilter Gutter Protection, which he started in his basement in 2005 — Matt launched Kaulig Giving, a six-person team that carefully chooses nonprofits to support financially, as well as with marketing guidance, administrative assistance and plenty of hands-on help.

To date, more than 300 organizations (mostly local) have received grants. Kaulig supports the well-being of children and families and develops partnerships with like-minded nonprofits in Northeast Ohio and beyond.

“The awesome thing about us is that it’s not bullshit,” Matt says as he leans back in the deck chair in his Hudson office. “We walk the walk and talk the talk. We really want this community to be the best place that it can be.”

Indeed, everything is a passion project for Matt and his team — including his wife, Lisa — who show up just as joyfully for a backyard playset build for a child with cancer as they do for the PGA Tour Champions sponsored by Kaulig at Firestone Country Club in

Akron, which raised over $1.2 million for local charities this year.

“We’re showing a commitment that is not just financial,” Lisa says. “And we also want to be an example to our daughter of what it looks like to give back.”

That’s fitting because, in many ways, everything began with Samantha.

Matt met Lisa at The University of Akron where he was a quarterback and she was a cheerleader. They married in 1998 and, not too long later, began trying to grow their family. It ultimately took seven years and tens of thousands of dollars in fertility treatments to have their daughter in August of 2007.

But the worry and uncertainty did not end with her arrival.

Matt carries himself like a man who owns both a NASCAR team and a minority stake in the Cleveland Guardians. He’s fit, fast moving, upbeat and decisive. But talking about his daughter’s birth changes his face in an instant as his eyes fill with tears.

Samantha could not nurse or take a bottle when she was born and, in one particularly terrifying moment, turned blue. The newborn was quickly transported to Akron

General. Lisa, just out of labor, could not go with her.,Before they took the baby into surgery, nurses gave Matt a moment alone with his daughter.

“I remember it being such a surreal …” he begins, his words trailing off as he is taken back in time. “I’m the only person this little girl has in the whole wide world. It’s just me.”

Doctors discovered that Samantha had a tracheoesophageal fistula, which caused whatever she drank to be aspirated into her lungs. She spent nine days recovering from surgery in the hospital before going home.

“They were so remarkable, the nurses and the staff,” Matt says. “It’s not like I had money then, that much to be able to give.”

But he remembers thinking one thing very clearly: Alright, we’ll support you guys forever.

It began with donating new furniture for the hospital’s waiting room, as well as a video monitoring system for the neonatal intensive care unit. Now, for the second year in a row, Lisa and Matt serve as Honorary Chairs for Akron Children’s Hospital Walk for Babies.

But it most certainly did not end there.

After their daughter’s birth, the couple launched Samantha’s Gift of Hope, an

IVF grant program with Reproductive Gynecology and Infertility in Akron that has helped bring 22 babies into this world. “The beauty of this program is that the stress is alleviated,” Lisa says. “I just wanted to be able to give people hope.”

That kind of giving is fairly private, but Matt also believes in giving in a way that inspires other people to join in.

“We put all of our stuff out there,” Matt explains. “We are in the community and want to be community leaders.”

To that end, Matt teams up with Fox 8’s Stefani Schaefer and WKYC’s Jay Crawford each month in a series highlighting a local nonprofit making a difference.

And, in November, Matt sent out an email to each of his 200 employees letting them know they’d all be receiving $1,000 to give to the charity of their choice.

HAVING A BALL

Teaching others to give is important to Kaulig. Many of his employees spent Giving Tuesday — an international day of giving — volunteering at a nonprofit of choice.

As the vice president of philanthropy for Kaulig Companies, it’s Stacey Langal’s job to find the best causes to support and then help them succeed. The result is an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time gift.

“Matt doesn’t want the money to feel transactional,” says Langal, who notes the joy on his face when he plays basketball with kids at an event or helps assemble bikes for another nonprofit. “We’re very involved.”

Matt says it is about doing the right thing.

“I think I had a really good philosophy early in life,” he says. “I deal with people all the time who are just selfish and they just take. That is a really bad long-term plan. The more we make the more we give.”

Empower Sports was founded on the belief that every child should have the opportunity to play sports. It’s a goal shared both by founder Tom Heines and the nonprofit’s biggest financial backer, Matt Kaulig.

Empower Sports has grown to include more than 400 families and now hosts fitness activities and games, including baseball, football, soccer and pickleball-in five counties.

That’s a credit to Heines and his hard work, which attracted supporters like Matt Kaulig. “Tom dedicates his life to these kids and Empower Sports,” Kaulig says. “It’s inspiring to us. That’s why we hook our wagon to guys like Tom.”

First Tee is a youth development organization that enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges.

TEEING UP LIFE LESSONS

Jeff O’Brien shares the course with Matt Kaulig to support youth development with the impact of golf at the Kaulig Companies Championship.

“We intend to use this tournament as a platform to significantly change thousands of lives here in our community,” says Kaulig. Once expenses are paid, all of the remaining proceeds will go to Northeast Ohio charities. The more money the tournament raises the more dollars are going back into the community. Fittingly, some of those lives will be changed on the golf course. One of the charities that benefits from the events is the Akron chapter of First Tee, a youth development organization that uses the game of golf to teach life lesson like how to pursue goals, collaborate with other and grow through challenges. “We know what we’re doing is working. We hear it from the parents, and we see it,” Obrien says. “Kids that have gone through First Tee are different than kids who have not. There’s a need for youth development organizations. You can see the need.”

Empower Sports founder Tom Heines with youth coach Joey Sorace and supporter

TAKING A SWING AT HUNGER.

Learn more about Empower Sports, including how to donate or volunteer, at empowersports.org.

Retired pro golfer Ben Curtis teams up with local entrepreneur and philanthropist Matt Kaulig to help local schoolchildren dream big.

When kids are hungry or worried about being hungry there’s not a lot of mental energy left for anything else. Ben and Candace wanted to tackle food insecurity and created the Birdie Bags to help give kids a degree of self-sufficiency and control. Each Birdie Bag contains 10 non-perishable meals and snacks that kids can keep and prepare for on their own. The bags are given out discreetly. “We’re impressed by them rolling up their sleeves and figuring out how to get food to kids who need it,” says Stacey Langal vice president of Philanthropy for Kaulig Companies. That kind of direct impact on the lives of children is was appreciated by local entrepreneur Matt Kaulig, as well.

Learn more about the Ben Curtis Family Foundation, including how to donate or volunteer, at bencurtisfoundation.org.

Learn more about the Akron chapter of First Tee Foundation, including how to donate or volunteer, at firstteeakron.org.

Matt Kaulig

Jay Crawford, Ben and Candace Curtis and Matt Kaulig

TIM CLEPPER

MEETING OF MINDS

Tim Clepper wasn’t looking for a new career or business partner, but he found both at the unlikeliest of places — a parent teacher conference.

TIM CLEPPER LOOKED AROUND the room and quickly noticed he was the only dad who had shown up at the school — except for one other guy with a quick smile and confident stride.

That other guy turned out to be LeafFilter founder Matt Kaulig, and Clepper would soon find out they had a lot more in common than attendance at their first graders’ parent-teacher conferences. A little more than a year later, they joined forces to establish Kaulig Companies. Today, their kids are in high school, and they’ve built an empire that extends into everything from consumer home products and financial services to sports and entertainment.

But none of it means much to the KauligClepper team if they’re not using their success to make an impact on the world around them.

“The more money we make, the more money we should be giving back,” says Clepper, the president and CEO of Kaulig Companies since 2016. “People will tell you that’s our tagline.”

When asked what he first saw in Kaulig, Clepper says he’s not sure he can adequately put his thoughts into words. He pauses briefly and then gives it a go.

“Our souls are together, but I don’t necessarily know why. Our worlds just smashed together very quickly, and everything just exploded from there.”

After graduating from Kent State University, Clepper launched his career in investment banking and, by the time he was 33, was named a senior vice president in Morgan Stanley’s private wealth management group.

A self-described “extreme optimist and extrovert,” he’d become an insider and connector in the world of private equity. He and his high-school sweetheart, Amy, were happily married — still are — with three young boys.

In other words, life was good, but he saw the opportunity for something even better by joining Kaulig.

“I trusted Matt,” he says. “Ten years later, I trust him even more.”

He trusted that, together, they could accomplish much more they could alone — and much more than success in business. Their goal is to create a new kind of giving that goes well beyond writing a check. That’s why Kaulig and Clepper — with the help of vice president of philanthropy Stacey Langal — devote as much energy, planning and oversight to philanthropy as they do to any other aspect of their business. They also show up.

“We spend time and we work in these organizations,” Clepper says. “We run fundraising events. We build the playgrounds. We stuff the school supplies. We help with marketing. We come in and get behind you.”

Clepper says he’s inspired by both his family and his Catholic faith. His parents didn’t have a whole lot extra to give, but they always helped out when and where they could.

He knows that life is unpredictable, even for people who appear to have it all. “I pray every night about this,” he says. “I’m prepared to take help if I ever need it. Giving is one thing; receiving is another. It’s way easier to give than to receive.”

Which takes us back to nearly a decade ago when two dads met in an elementary

school and grabbed a beer after the meeting was over, leading to a handshake deal and a partnership so rewarding that Clepper can only describe it as a soul connection.

So what did Kaulig think of that other dad in the room? What did he see in Clepper that led him to bring him on as, essentially, an equal?

“I saw a really bright guy who knew the world of private equity and had the ability to grow relationships like I’d never seen before,” Kaulig says. “But more than that, I saw a really good person.”

Tim Clepper and Drew Forhan, CEO of ForTec Companies greet each other at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio’s Michael Clegg Memorial Pro-Am Golf Tournament.

Matt Kaulig and Tim Clepper decked out in holiday gear, celebrate another successful Santa PICsU presents delivery at Akron Children’s Hospital.

STACEY LANGAL

MUSIC TO HER EARS

Stacey Langal has heard what impactful giving sounds like — and it’s her mission at Kaulig Companies to bring that harmony to as many people as possible.

THE LITTLE BOY BEGAN with his back to the audience. Slowly, he turned around to show what support like theirs had done for people like him, people born with a disease that causes thick mucus to build up in the lungs.

The boy lifted the trumpet to his lips and began to play.

“It was a spectacular moment,” says Stacey Langal, who had organized the event for the Northern Ohio chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

As she scanned the room to take it all in, Langal saw an older gentleman who stopped her short. “He looked miserable,” she remembers. “He was not at all affected by what he saw.”

But, a few minutes later, when the audience was asked for donations, the man’s hand was the first to go up — and he gave $5,000. Langal later found out that “the reason he was so grumpy looking was because he was doing everything he could not to sob.”

Moments like that redefined the concept of giving for Langal, who helped raised more than a million a year as a senior development director for the local CFF chapter. She saw firsthand how giving led to 90% of patients being eligible for drugs or treatments called modulaters, which are extending and improving the lives of those with cystic fibrosis.

So when Kaulig Companies CEO and President Tim Clepper, a board member of the chapter at the time, asked her to join the team, his offer had to dazzle her — and it did. She would be the vice president of philanthropy. In that role, she’d work directly with Clepper and company founder Matt Kaulig to launch Kaulig Giving.

The goal? To revolutionize corporate giving. There would be no check writing and moving on. Rather, they would make full investments of time and money in local nonprofits and, in doing so, change lives while inspiring others to give in whatever way they could.

“I didn’t believe him at first,” she says. “Really? You want me to come over and do this?”

Langal started at Kaulig Companies in January 2018. She, Clepper and Kaulig meet weekly to discuss the reports Langal prepares on prospective beneficiaries. If a non-profit is spending more on parties than people, they don’t make the cut.

“Stacey’s the filter,” says Kaulig. “We want to give our time and our money, but only if it’s used to directly better our communities. Stacey has the experience to make sure that happens.”

Since its inception, Kaulig Giving supported more than 300 non-profits, mostly local and mostly directed toward helping children and families. It starts with a check, but that money is followed up by an investment of time and resources from Kaulig Giving, which helps with everything from marketing to hosting events. You’re more likely, for example, to see Kaulig and his team talking to kids while helping build a playground than schmoozing big names at black tie events while sipping champagne.

Along the way, the team had to make a decision: Did they want their giving to be

quiet and behind the scenes or public and, hopefully, inspirational. They went with the latter. Not to show people what they’re doing but to show who can be helped when giving is done right.

“In the end, actions speak louder than words,” Langal says. “The best way to make a difference is to do verses just talk. When and where we can, we make sure that all kids have nutrition, education, healthcare, opportunities and some fun.”

While Langal did find it hard to leave her full-time cystic fibrosis work behind, Kaulig Giving is a supporter of the local chapter and she’s able to keep in touch with the families she grew to care for so deeply. And, with her son and daughter in high school and college, she was ready to tackle a new challenge — as long as it led to life-changing moments like seeing a little boy with lungs strong enough to play the trumpet.

“That is something that is important to me,” she says. “When you can make someone’s life better, that’s hands-down the best.”

Bringing books to the ballpark! Stacey Langal and Gretchen Schurman from Kaulig Giving team with the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank to pass out books at the PitCCh In Foundation Baseball Camp.

TIPS FOR IMPACTFUL GIVING

1. DON’T GIVE OVER THE PHONE. Instead, request information to be sent via email or mail. This will give you the chance to confirm the legitimacy of the non-profit.

2. VISIT A NONPROFIT’S WEBSITE AND ITS PROFILE ON GUIDESTAR.ORG. Pay attention to the organization’s mission, projects, staff, board, location, and other details. Assess the organization’s financial health by viewing its Form 990 tax filing.

3. DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT. Look for opportunities to make your giving go further by taking advantage of incentives such as workplace matches or the Ohio income tax credit through the Angel Scholarship Fund.

4. EXPECT TO BE CONTACTED BY THE NONPROFIT. Good fundraising professionals should thank you for your contribution, and then, work to get to know you, understand reasons you are giving to their organization, and find ways to introduce you to their work and projects that may resonate with you.

200 GIVE Cleveland

POWEREDBYKAULIGGIVING

Cleveland is celebrated for its vibrant philanthropic spirit. Our communities flourish thanks to the dedication of numerous nonprofit organizations. These groups are supported by an army of passionate volunteers and leaders who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Their efforts open doors to the arts, provide vital mental and physical health services and enrich our lives with recreational opportunities. They also drive our businesses and educational institutions, ensuring a brighter future for all.

Here are 200 nonprofits and nonprofit leaders that are making positive change every day.

North Chagrin Nature Center

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Sleepy Hollow Golf Course

200 GIVE Cleveland

Philanthropy for Everyone

The world of giving has transformed. There’s a hunger to make social impact investments, and donors want to hear organizations’ “why” and “how” stories. Inspirational change is inviting more donors to the table to participate in all ways.

By Kristen Hampshire

When Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center staged a grand opening at its new MidTown Cleveland headquarters, there was no black tie, red carpet or passing around canapes and bubbly. Instead, the grounds were alive with a bounce house for neighborhood children pouring with waves of squealing laughter. Fare included balloon twisting, cotton candy and guided tours of the milestone-making facility.

It was a whole different kind of gala — and that was the point.

“I didn’t know you were here. I have to tell my daughter so my grandbaby can get help with her speech,” said a guest to Dr. Jennell Vick, president and CEO.

“Our mission has always been to provide inclusive, high-quality speech therapy, audiology and deaf services to all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances,” Vick relates, noting one of the center’s initiatives, Project ELLA (Early Language and Literacy for All). “Cleveland is a city with chronic intergenerational poverty, and part of our role in helping to create economic mobility is to help the youngest members of our city develop the language skills they need that lead to literacy.”

Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center staged a grand opening at its new MidTown location. The ribbon cutting featured (l to r) Sally Messinger, Don Messinger (who has been a board member for 50 years), Karen Bailo (immediate past president) and Jennell Vick (president and CEO)

“We know that more people are giving in smaller amounts to causes directly — most comes from individuals. This is powerful because we were founded with the idea of harnessing individual giving for collective impact.”

— Lillian Kuri, Cleveland Foundation

Now the center has a presence and welcome mat to meet those needs where they are.

Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center’s move to MidTown falls on the heels of the Cleveland Foundation’s symbolic, fundamental move in spring 2023 to connect to the core and reimagine the Hough neighborhood and MidTown as its new headquarters.

“We are changing the narrative on a national level about how philanthropy has felt behind the curtain or inaccessible, and we have started a movement around the country by demonstrating how community foundations can open their doors, make a bigger tent, pull back the onion of philanthropy and make people feel a part of it,” says Lillian Kuri, Cleveland Foundation’s president and CEO.

Rooted in the Community

Across the country, other community foundations have been watching how this redirect from office cubicles to rooting right into the neighborhoods they serve is changing what philanthropy looks like and who engages. It also aligns with another transformation in giving: social impact. “The exciting thing I’ve noticed in the past few years is that people are much more interested in investing in solutions to problems of society,” says Vick, relating that a fresh generation of donors is mission-focused, centered on inclusion and desires to be stewards of change.

The collective experience of traveling a journey of change during the pandemic

the city’s core.

interspersed with “massive societal issues,” Vick says, pointing to political unrest, climate change and our increasingly global communities, has put “a magnifying glass on what really matters.”

There are multiple pressure points in play.

“Philanthropy is rapidly changing for a few reasons,” says Kuri, leading with the foundation’s decision as a place-based organization to show up exactly where the need is.

“Our new building has caused us to ask, ‘What does the community foundation of the future need to be?’ and it ties to the data,” Kuri says. “We know that more people are giving in smaller amounts to causes directly — most donations come from individuals. This is powerful because we were founded with the idea of harnessing individual giving for collective impact.”

Kuri says the philanthropic field is being disrupted by how and why people give.

Take crowd-funding platforms and viral social media campaigns that win one-off donations. “We are seeing an enormous amount of digital giving — people who want to get a text or go through social media,” says Debbie Rodriguez, chief development and marketing officer, Achievement Centers for Children.

“Also, we see the retention of individual donors has decreased, and we work very hard as an organization to make sure our fundraising initiatives are about relationships, not a transaction,” Rodriguez adds, noting that donors’ craving

Giving in the U.S. BY THE NUMBERS

$557.2 billion

total U.S. giving in 2023, up from $499.3 billion in 2022*

1.6% growth in individual giving from last year, the largest share of giving*

3.4% of total donors dropped*

$100 billion+ foundation giving surpassed this threshold for the second year in a row*

$36.6 billion

corporate giving, an increase but the smallest share of total giving*

15,597 nonprofit organizations in the greater Cleveland Ohio metro area, including Cleveland and Elyria**

*2024 Philanthropic Landscape, CCS Fundraising **CauseIQ

The Cleveland Foundation moved to a new building in MidTown in Spring 2023 to connect to

for making a social impact has elevated tremendously in the last couple of years.

“Younger donors want to give to causes, not necessarily organizations,” Rodriguez says. “They want to get involved with human rights, equity and inclusion, climate change, mental health — things that are fundamental to the work we do.”

So organizations have to tell their stories in meaningful ways that resonate with a desire to make a measurable difference.

Kuri points to the Cleveland Foundation’s three newly launched Affinity Funds and to expanded social impact investing. In six years, the foundation has grown the social impact investing from $50 million to $750 million.

“Everyone is familiar with the three Ts of philanthropy: time, talent and treasure,” adds Mary Wilson Wheelock, chief advancement officer at OhioGuidestone, the largest community-based behavioral health organization in the state. “But there are really six Ts, including ties, testimony and trust.”

Organizations are hearing those additional Ts loud and clear from longtime donors and an emerging generation of those giving back. They want to realize a connection, learn how their time and treasure helped initiate change and trust that gifts are stewarded with utmost responsibility and transparency.

Regarding trust, Wheelock emphasizes this as a necessity for garnering unrestricted gifts that allow organizations to filter funds

“Younger donors want to give to causes, not necessarily organizations. They want to get involved with human rights, climate change, mental health — things that are we’re involved with in the work we do.”

— Debbie Rodriguez, The Achievement Centers for Children

where the need is greatest, which is always a variable.

Reporting is essential. She adds, “People want to know how their money helped.”

At Cleveland Public Library (CPL), Dr. Shenise Johnson Thomas and her team are showcasing how CPL enriches lives in the Cleveland community daily. Thomas wants the community to know that a library is more than books — it’s a hub for connection, curiosity and community building. It offers resources on critical issues like food security and technology access. She highlights that many nontraditional library services are funded through philanthropy, not tax dollars.

“We have a responsibility to tell donors how their dollars are being spent, and one of the best ways to do that is for recipients of the funds to tell their story,” says Thomas, chief of external relations and development for CPL.

For example, through a partnership with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, CPL hosts a monthly food pantry. “A patron was able to get a coffee cake, and she informed the branch manager that she was so grateful for this because she could not afford to buy her child a birthday cake,” Thomas shares.

Regarding partnerships, this is another vital and sustaining effort for nonprofits across the region and country, Thomas says.

The CPL Foundation is asking, “How can we collaborate with different partners

The Achievement Centers for Children aims to empower those with disabilities through holistic and family-focused services.

Ohio Guidestone is a behavorial health services agency serving 30 Ohio counties.

to bring more resources to bear for our community, or how can we combine our resources to go after philanthropic support together?” Thomas asks.

Dollars are finite. Time is limited. Resources are thoughtfully expended.

“Collaboration and coordination are essential,” Thomas says.

Deaconess Foundation’s President and CEO Cathy Belk says, “Partnership is required.” She adds, “The transformational change we seek requires everyone to work together and being at least complementary if not aligned and focused on the same outcomes, and working together to do that. We’ve never had so much alignment across the boar as we do now. I’m really encouraged by that.”

Driving Social Impact

Every dollar counts, and most of those come from individual donations.

At the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 70% of gifts are from individuals, and the majority of those are less than

$100. Specifically, of the 1,500 average gifts per year to the museum, 1,200 fall into this category. “That’s the bread and butter,” says Julia Ross, senior director of philanthropy and external relations. “It’s the continuous giving and recognizing that every dollar matters to the organization and is important to our mission.”

Those dollars together with generous gifts helped contribute to a monumental transformation project for the museum. “Without the endless support of our philanthropic community and our donors, we could not operate this museum or complete a project of this scale,” Ross adds. Rodriguez notes the same giving patterns at Achievement Centers, reiterating Kuri’s remark about appreciating the generosity of every donor across the diverse giving landscape. At Achievement Centers, a substantial number of gifts are less than $500, and 25% of the agency’s budget comes from contributions.

Consistency is what nonprofits hope for, relates Judy Ghazoul Hilow, executive

“Partnership is required. The transformational change we seek requires everyone to work together and being at least complementary if not aligned and focused on the same outcomes, and working together to do that.”

— Cathy Belk, Deaconess Foundation

“How can we collaborate with different partners to bring more resources to bear for our community, or how can we combine our resources to go after philanthropic support together?”

— Dr. Shenise Johnson Thomas, Cleveland Public Library

director at Malachi House, which ministers to the terminally ill who have limited or no financial resources and are in the need for a special home at the end of life.

Hilow says, “When you take those $5 and $50 donations and put them together, you may find a one-time $10,000 donor has given less than people who have been giving a little for 20 years.”

She quickly adds, “Don’t get me wrong. Those generous donations bring great potential and are vital, but we treat those donors no differently than the person who gives $5, because every relationship is so important.”

The Cleveland Public Library connects with the community through its variety of events.

Small, individual gifts contributed to a monumental transformation at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

“It’s about relationships and showing people that we are serving our mission and they are part of something that is helping in the community.”

— Judy Ghazoul Hilow, Malachi House

a young enterprise considering the library is almost 155 years old. “We have to educate people about what the library does in addition to handling its informational needs,” Thomas says. “We provide social services and address the social ills in our communities, and that requires expanding the individual donor space by deepening understanding of what public libraries are today.”

For instance, the Glenville Campus’ Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Workforce and Senior Digital Innovation Lab will serve as a creative, collaborative and educational space where residents can access software, emerging technologies, STEM education and workforce and career development tools. The Rockport Campus is home to the Best Buy Teen Tech Center. The Fulton branch has the Verizon Community Forward Learning Center.

Every transformation in the philanthropic sector ultimately circles back to telling the story — and showing individuals, families and groups there are no social or economic boundaries to who is a philanthropist. The definition runs far and deep.

Her focus on “in perpetuity” speaks to Rodriguez’s observation related to decreasing donor retention, which is also driven by donors deciding to narrow their focus and stream more dollars to fewer organizations in hopes of making a greater impact.

Hilow says participation and donations slid during the pandemic and are still a struggle. But the organization has a strong backbone built on a belief of nurturing an endowment versus relying on government dollars that could be allocated one year and swiped away the next.

Meanwhile, many aren’t aware that organizations like Malachi House, agencies like OhioGuidestone and institutions such as CPL and the Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) depend on philanthropic support to deliver on their various missions.

It’s not all “paid for.”

“We are a nonprofit, and we have to remind people of that sometimes,” says Kirsten Ellenbogen, GLSC’s president and CEO. During the last decade, the center has shifted from 30% “contributed revenue” to about 40%, thanks to a committed board that gives 100%. “Donors respond to that, and our board brings in friends and colleagues because they

want to show off an organization they are proud of,” she says of robust giving.

CPL’s fundraising efforts are about a decade into its philanthropic endeavor, and its foundation officially launched in 2019,

Hilow says, “It’s about relationships and showing people that we are serving our mission and they are part of something that is helping in the community.”

Engaging the Next Generation

From forming associate boards of young professionals and community members

The

Great Lakes Science Center is a nonprofit organization that relies on philanthropic support to deliver on its missions.

The Malachi House provides a home for the terminally ill who have limited financial resources.

“The questions that come from our young people are amazing.”

— Britt Lovett, Lorain County Community Foundation

to rethinking fundraisers to attract the next generation of donors, Northeast Ohio organizations are creatively showing how getting involved wins the type of impact donors are seeking.

Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center’s associate board of new partners organize an annual big-wheel relay race. It’s basically a giant festival with play-by-play announcements, food trucks and a judged relay race. Many teams dress in costume.

“During that planning, they become so passionate about how important our mission is, and they want the rest of the community to be engaged in our mission, too,” Vick says. “It’s exciting to see toddlers and families get involved, and talking about it the next day is one of the most important things people can do to continue the impact.”

Lorain County Community Foundation established its Youth Fund made up of 14 public school districts along with some private and charter schools. “These students come together on Sundays and learn about philanthropy. They also push out RFPs to nonprofits in our communities, and they give grants,” says Britt Lovett, strategic initiatives officer.

During this process, they learn about the community’s needs and ask questions

of nonprofits following reviews of grant applications. “The questions that come from our young people are amazing,” Lovett says, noting the group is also reading a book together, “Philanthropy…Is a Word for Big-Hearted People.”

Ross adds, “Family foundations are a great way to engage the next generation, and we see a lot of family foundations now working with their children or grandchildren to bring them along in that journey, asking them to help make decisions on where the family dollars should go. It’s a great opportunity to see those legacies continue.”

When individuals, corporations and donors across the giving landscape better understand organizations’ needs and connect to a cause, the giving cycle continues.

OhioGuidestone leverages opportunities to present mental health topics as a way to “recruit” the next generation of donors, who might not realize its purpose and impact in the state and how they can get involved.

To build and maintain momentum, Wheelock asks those who participate to share their experience with at least one person who doesn’t know about OhioGuidestone. She says, “If we can get all of the people coming through who volunteer or hear from us to do that, we will grow.”

You Can GIVE

There are a number of ways to plan for and finance a gift, and here are some strategies for giving back to an organization with a mission you connect to individually, as a family or as a corporation.

Retirement plans and life insurance

Name a nonprofit as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or a portion of retirement assets.

Charitable gift annuities

Arrange for a fixed income payment to make a large gift. The organization can invest in the fund, retain remaining funds after an annuity’s terms expire or upon your passing.

Charitable remainder trusts

This arrangement involves a gift of cash or securities in exchange for an income payment at a settled percentage of the principal. This can always be revalued or increased annually. Talk to your financial advisor about how to structure the trust.

Charitable lead trusts

You make payments to a nonprofit for a set number of years (term). At the end, payments are returned to you or beneficiaries.

The Lorain County Community Foundation inspires the next generation through its Youth Fund, which engages students from throughout Northeast Ohio.

ASo Many Ways to Give

Volunteer as a mentor, show visitors science exhibits, serve meals, work a shop and more. Cleveland’s robust nonprofit community has a place for everyone to spend just a bit of time or much more.

By Kristen Hampshire

community, grassroots project to gather books to stock Little Free Libraries in Cleveland so kids could easily access a special read to grow literacy is now an eightyear-old nonprofit that collects more than 45,000 books every month. The name of the nonprofit is Kids’ Book Bank, and to date 4.4 million books have been distributed to children.

Throughout Greater Cleveland, there are 22 large blue book bins. A packed warehouse on MidTown’s Perkins Avenue welcomes hundreds of volunteers who sort titles according to age and ensure the books are gently used and in a condition that will bring pride to a young reader and family.

It all started with a batch of books.

Then, the initiative spread by word of mouth, social media and partnerships with schools, churches, social service agencies, food banks and other nonprofits. One idea grew into a voluminous movement filling a gap: simply getting kids books who might not otherwise have something to read.

Each book “becomes a real gift,” says Natalie Friedl, executive director of Kids’ Book Bank.

Getting involved is as simple as donating a book, signing up online for a shift to help sort or donating money to help fulfill the nonprofit’s mission. No matter your interests, what causes you to connect with deeply or the amount of spare time your week or year allows, there are many ways to make a real difference in the community.

All it takes is raising a hand and saying, “I can do that” at one of the region’s nonprofits or institutions.

Full STEAM Impact

Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) depends on volunteers for a range of events, exhibition setup and ongoing upkeep of the STEM destination. “We’ve benefited from retired professionals and educators who want to give back, and we now have a growing cohort of volunteers who are coming after work hours and students, and it’s a great mix in our galleries,” says Kirsten Ellenbogen, president and CEO.

If you like to talk science, build, get involved in a child’s wonder or just want to be behind the scenes at GLSC, there are so many ways.

• Teamwork: Groups from local businesses can visit for a day and help paint and polish the William J. Mather steamship. “The amount of work and change that can happen with a dedicated group volunteering for a day is extraordinary,” Ellenbogen says.

• Play Around: Join the guest engagement team of volunteers who specialize in various exhibits or departments. Interact with guests in the galleries, show and tell something you’ve learned. There are a lot of different volunteer opportunities available at GLSC. It does not need to be a long-term commitment. Sometimes volunteers are able to sign up to help for a single special event.

• Build an Exhibition: GLSC enlists volunteers to help erect fascinating

Great Lakes Science Center

exhibitions, such as TapeScape, a two-level, 10,000 square-foot playscape made entirely out of packing tape.

Work Book Sales, Tutor or Share Your Vocation

Beyond books and information, Cleveland Public Library (CPL) houses engaging digital labs with computer services and food pantries and even a holiday shop stocked with used books, unique gifts and Cleveland-themed finds with proceeds supporting CPL.

• Retail Ready? Interact with CPL guests, help visitors find a special book to take home and contribute as one of the cast of volunteers required to run book sales throughout the year.

• Talk Shop: “At our Best Buy Teen Tech Center, we are looking for volunteer mentors every day in the IT, engineering and STEM fields to talk about their career journeys,” says Dr. Shenise Johnson Thomas, chief of external relations and development for CPL. “Share what obstacles you had to overcome, what you’ll learn if you have a career interest in IT and engineering, and how you paved a career path.”

Serve a Mission with Care

Malachi House was born from the giving hearts of Fr. Paul Hritz and the late Catherine (Kaki) O’Neill who often encountered homeless individuals dying under bridges, in abandoned cars and at the doorstep of St. Malachi Church. They started Malachi House as a loving home for life’s last journey.

• House Helper: Make a difference by helping with everyday needs, from answering phones and the door to greeting visitors and hospice staff to performing kitchen duties including cooking, baking, meal prep, setting tables, preparing meal trays and cleanup. Also, individuals

can help with pet, art and music therapy. Help with special events — or fold laundry and help clean house. Manage pantry donations (and contribute) and organize the stock.

• Spiritual Presence: Vigil volunteers (with training) are company for actively dying or restless residents.

• Work for Malachi House: Hospice volunteers and staff are vital to Malachi House, as are caregivers and caregiver assistants, which the organization mainly hires through Indeed and focuses on neighborhood men and women who want to give back. “It’s a beautiful thing to watch caregivers help us, along with the dedication of our volunteers and staff,” says Judy Ghazoul Hilow, executive director.

For the Love of Books

The easiest way to give back to Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank is to drop a cherished, gently used children’s book into one of the 22 large blue book bins throughout Greater Cleveland. Find a directory of locations at kidsbookbank.org/ donate-books.

• Hold a Book Drive: Organize a book collection initiative at a school, church, community organization or even your own book club. Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank will pick up the batch or you can bring it to the Perkins Avenue warehouse.

• Sort and Stock: With more than 45,000 books per month to organize, if you have an hour or several, extra hands and eyes are important for make sure each donated book will feel new to its next recipient. Books are sorted by reading level. Off-site book distribution is also needed.

• Sign Up Online: Volunteer spots fill up quickly and the nonprofit schedules all slots online at kidsbookbank.org/volunteer.

Buy Local, Go Nonprofit

Do you need hearing aids, audiology services or hearing evaluation and testing? Does your business require a language interpreter for an event? Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center provides these necessities on a sliding scale and accepts all insurances, but if you can self-pay and choose to obtain hearing aids from the organization, the fee you pay goes toward its mission.

One self-pay hearing aid allows the center to provide four hearing aids at a low cost to those in need. “Organizations like ours have service line revenue to support our mission, so it’s important to think about that,” says Dr. Jennell Vick, president and CEO.

Cleveland Public Library

Kids’ Book Bank

Malachi House

At University Hospitals, we take our commitment to our community seriously and are grateful for your ongoing support in this rapidly changing world. Together, we’ll continue to treat patients like family, find new treatments and cures, and prepare the next generation of caregivers. Join others who are helping advance the science of health and the art of compassion by leaving their legacy.

To learn more, contact our Gift Planning Team: UHGiving.org/BecauseofYou | 216-983-2200

The Give Cleveland 200

Cleveland is ultimately a hugely giving community. This generosity is fueled by volunteers who hope to impact even one life and leaders who set the example for what it means to dream big and plan for a better tomorrow. Here are 200 nonprofit leaders — the people who are at the helm of the organizations making a difference — who top this year’s list of change makers.

Arts & Culture

APOLLO’S FIRE/THE CLEVELAND BAROQUE ORCHESTRA

Manage a period-instrument orchestra dedicated to performances based on the baroque ideal that music should evoke various passions in listeners.

Jeannette Sorrell

Founder, Conductor and Artistic Director 216-320-0012 apollosfire.org

ART THERAPY STUDIO

Enhance the quality of life for all people through art therapy.

Michelle Epps

Executive Director 216-791-9303 arttherapystudio.org

ASSEMBLY FOR THE ARTS

Convene, coordinate and collaborate with everyone who lives and works in Greater Cleveland to strengthen and support those in the region who create, present, experience and appreciate all forms of arts and culture.

Jeremy V. Johnson

President & CEO

216-575-0331 assemblycle.org

BECK CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Inspire, enrich and transform lives through dynamic arts experiences.

Lucinda Einhouse

President & CEO

216-521-2540 beckcenter.org

BROADWAY SCHOOL OF MUSIC & THE ARTS

Enrich the lives of people by providing access to high-quality, diverse arts and music instruction and programming.

Barbara Bachtell

Executive Director 216-641-0630 broadwayschool.org

CENTER FOR ARTS INSPIRED LEARNING

Ignite student learning, creativity and success through the arts.

Emma Parker CEO 216-561-5005 arts-inspiredlearning.org

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF CLEVELAND

Promote learning through play using innovative exhibits and programs designed for all children from birth to age 8.

Maria Campanelli

Executive Director 216-791-7114 cmcleveland.org

CITY CLUB OF CLEVELAND

Serve Greater Cleveland with programs, public forums and debates for a variety of audiences on a variety of political and social issues.

Dan Moulthrop CEO 216-621-0082 cityclub.org

CLEVELAND BALLET

Offer students quality training and intensive instruction in the highly structured and disciplined techniques of ballet, as well as other dance styles and related arts.

Larry Goodman President & CEO 216-320-9000 clevelandballet.org

CLEVELAND CULTURAL GARDENS FEDERATION

Preserve and promote the gardens and act as a liaison between sponsoring ethnic communities and government and institutional partners.

Wael Khoury President 216-220-3075 clevelandculturalgardens.org

CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC

Operate independent conservatories of music devoted exclusively to classical music performance.

Paul Hogle President & CEO 216-791-5000 cim.edu

CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Promote artistically and culturally significant film arts through education and exhibition.

Hermione Malone Executive Director  216-623-3456 clevelandfilm.org

CLEVELAND JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Increase awareness and appreciation of jazz with original music, exceptional performances and inspirational educational programming.

Scott Garlock Executive Director 216-260-3530 clevelandjazz.org

CLEVELAND KIDS’ BOOK BANK

Foster literacy and a love of reading by distributing free books to children in need through collaboration with community partners.

Natalie Friedl Executive Director 216-417-1803 kidsbookbank.org

CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART

Be a global leader among museums by building, preserving and sharing art from all periods and parts of the world.

William Griswold Director & President 216-421-7350 clevelandart.org

CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

Inspire a passion for nature and the protection of natural diversity through science and education.

Sonia Winner President & CEO 216-231-4600 cmnh.org

CLEVELAND OPERA THEATER

Advance opera with Excellence, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access. (Excellent I.D.E.A.)

Scott Skiba

Executive Artistic Director 216-512-0268 clevelandoperatheater.org

CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA

Inspire and enrich lives by creating extraordinary classical musical experiences at the highest level of artistic excellence.

Andre Gremillet

President & CEO 216-231-7300 clevelandorchestra.com

CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

Entertain diverse audiences by producing plays and theater education programs of the highest professional standards.

Michael Barakiva

Artistic Director 216-400-7000 clevelandplayhouse.com

CLEVELAND POPS ORCHESTRA

Provide performances with a mixture of the music of Broadway, Hollywood, jazz, rock and light classics.

Shirley Morgenstern

President & CEO 216-765-7677 clevelandpops.com

CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

Foster a culture of learning that inspires all Clevelanders to continually learn and seek new knowledge.

Felton Thomas Jr.

Executive Director & CEO 216-623-2800 cpl.org

CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE

Raise consciousness and nurture compassion through groundbreaking performances and life-changing education programs.

Raymond Bobgan

Executive Artistic Director 216-631-2727 cptonline.org

CUYAHOGA COUNTY

PUBLIC LIBRARY

Empower individuals and communities by providing opportunities for all to read, learn, create and connect.

Allyn Davies President 216-398-1800 cuyahogalibrary.org

DOBAMA THEATRE

Premier important new plays by established and emerging playwrights in professional productions of the highest quality.

Nathan Motta

Artistic Director 216-932-3396 dobama.org

FRONT INTERNATIONAL

Offer a free, public contemporary art exhibition composed of artist commissions, performances, films and public programs every three years.

Fred Bidwell

Executive Director 216-938-5799 frontart.org

GRAFFITI HEART

Offer a platform for graffiti writers and aspiring artists to practice their artistic talent with approved commissioned projects and other educational opportunities.

Stamy Paul President & Founder 440-781-4515 graffitiheart.org

GREAT LAKES THEATER

Bring the pleasure and relevance of classic theater to the widest possible audience through mainstage productions and educational programs.

Charles Fee

Artistic Director 216-241-5490 greatlakestheater.org

GREATER CLEVELAND

FILM COMMISSION

Increase local spending and create jobs by using incentives to encourage media companies to produce more films in Cleveland.

Bill Garvey President 216-623-3910 clevelandfilm.com

IDEASTREAM PUBLIC MEDIA

Operate a member-supported multimedia source for illuminating the world around us.

Kevin E. Martin

President & CEO 216-916-6100 ideastream.org

INGENUITY CLEVELAND

Ignite the creative spark among artists, entrepreneurs and innovators through joy and collaboration in service to social progress.

Emily Appelbaum

Executive Artistic Director 216-589-9444 ingenuitycleveland.org

KARAMU HOUSE

Produce professional theater, provide arts education and present programs for all people while honoring the African American experience.

Tony F. Sias President & CEO 216-795-7070 karamuhouse.org

LITERACY COOPERATIVE, THE Work to advance literacy by raising awareness, promoting effective public advocacy and fostering a delivery system with maximum impact on the region.

Robert Paponetti President & CEO 216-776-6180 literacycooperative.org

MALTZ FAMILY FOUNDATION

Operate a museum to promote the understanding of Jewish history, religion and culture and serve as an educational resource for Northeast Ohio.

Jason Fishman Executive Director 216-593-0575 mmjh.org

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CLEVELAND

Challenge, inspire and teach a wide range of audiences and to push the boundaries of innovation, creativity and exploration through exhibitions, publications, education and outreach programs.

Megan Lykins Reich Executive Director 216-421-8671 mocacleveland.org

MUSIC AND ART AT TRINITY CATHEDRAL INC.

Support the Anglican tradition of providing quality music and arts free of charge for urban dwellers, students and workers, in a cathedral.

Todd Wilson

Organist & Director of Music 216-774-0420 trinitycleveland.org/music-art-trinity

MUSIC SETTLEMENT, THE

Build healthy, thriving communities by nurturing individuals of all ages, backgrounds, artistic ability or economic circumstances through accessible, life-changing music and arts experiences.

Geralyn Presti President & CEO 216-421-5806 themusicsettlement.org

PLAYHOUSE SQUARE

Operate a high-quality performing arts center, advance arts education and create an entertainment, business and residential living destination.

Craig Hassall

President & CEO 216-771-4444 playhousesquare.org

ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME

Operate a museum to encourage regional tourism and engage, teach and inspire people through the power of rock and roll.

Greg Harris

President & CEO 216-781-7625 rockhall.com

SEEDS OF LITERACY

Provide free basic education and GED and HiSET preparation to adults to reduce illiteracy as a cause of poverty.

Bonnie Entler President & CEO 216-661-7950 seedsofliteracy.org

SPACES

Commission artists from around the world to make new work about timely issues, provide educational initiatives and distribute grants to artists.

Fanna Gebreyesus Executive Director 216-621-2314 spacescle.org

UNIVERSITY CIRCLE INC.

Build a community experience that connects all people with Cleveland’s center of culture, healing and learning.

Kate Borders President 216-791-3900 universitycircle.org

WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Inspire people to discover the American experience by exploring the tangible history of Northeast Ohio.

Kelly Falcone-Hall President & CEO 216-721-5722 wrhs.org

Community & Social Services

A KID AGAIN NORTHERN OHIO

Foster hope, happiness and healing by providing free local events and activities that allow children with life-threatening conditions to feel like a kid again.

Christine Bucknell Executive Director 330-405-5437 akidagain.org

ADOPTION NETWORK CLEVELAND

Connect and empower individuals, organizations and communities impacted by adoption, kinship and foster care, as well as provide a source of healing for those in need.

Betsie Norris

Founder & Executive Director 216-325-1000 adoptionnetwork.org

AMERICAN RED CROSS NORTHERN OHIO REGION

Help communities in northern Ohio prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies.

Mike Parks Regional CEO 216-431-3010 redcross.org/local/ohio/northern-ohio

ARGONAUT

Build adventurers through immersive learning experiences that challenge assumptions and shift norms for growing empowered talent in aerospace and maritime fields.

Drew Ferguson Founder & CEO 216-860-4883 argonaut.org

ASIAN SERVICES IN ACTION INC.

Serve, support and advocate for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), as well as immigrants and refugees, so they prosper and flourish.

Elaine Tso CEO 216-881-0330 asiaohio.org

BEECH BROOK

Help children and families thrive by promoting healthy child development, strengthening the ability to overcome adversity and enhancing family health and stability.

Thomas P. Royer President & CEO 216-831-2255 beechbrook.org

BEN CURTIS FAMILY FOUNDATION

Help alleviate food insecurity and allow children to overcome disadvantages to become the best champions of their own lives.

Candace Curtis Founder & Executive Director 330-422-8326 bencurtisfoundation.org

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF NORTHEAST OHIO

Inspire and enable young people who need support the most to reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.

Allen Smith CEO 216-883-4663 bgcneo.org

CATHOLIC CHARITIES, ST. AUGUSTINE HUNGER CENTER

Provide quality services designed to respect the dignity of every person and build a just and compassionate society.

Patrick Gareau President & CEO 216-415-5101 ccdocle.org

CENTER FOR COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS

Improve the health, social and economic conditions in Ohio through nonpartisan policy advocacy, research and data analysis.

Emily Campbell President & CEO 216-781-2944 communitysolutions.com

CHN HOUSING PARTNERS

Leverage affordable housing to change lives and improve communities.

Kevin J. Nowak President & CEO 216-574-7100 chnhousingpartners.org

CITY MISSION, THE

Provide basic needs, critical recovery resources and practical assistance to homeless persons in services to Christ and God.

Linda Uveges CEO 216-431-3510 thecitymission.org

CLEVELAND ANIMAL PROTECTIVE LEAGUE

Advance the quality of life for animals and promote their place in society, as well as pioneer new approaches to the evolving challenges animals face.

Sharon Harvey President & CEO 216-771-4616 clevelandapl.org

CLEVELAND COUNCIL ON WORLD AFFAIRS

Inspire engagement in international affairs and world cultures through education, citizen diplomacy and public dialogue.

Carina Van Vliet CEO 216-781-3730 ccwa.org

CLEVELAND LEADERSHIP CENTER

Build a continuum of civic leaders committed to our community’s excellence by serving as a catalyst for civic engagement.

Becky Ruppert McMahon President & CEO 216-592-2400 cleveleads.org

CLEVELAND PEACEMAKERS ALLIANCE

Engage community youth and program participants through case management services, including workforce assistance, housing, court support and education.

Myesha Watkins Executive Director 216-243-7002 clevelandpeacemakers.org

CLEVELAND RAPE CRISIS CENTER

Support survivors of rape and sexual abuse, promote healing and prevention and advocate for social change.

Nicole McKinney-Johnson Interim President & CEO 216-619-6194 clevelandrapecrisis.org

COLLABORATIVE TO END HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Lead, empower and connect the community to eradicate human trafficking.

Kirsti Mouncey President & CEO 440-872-6500 collabtoendht.org

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP ON AGING

Promote independence, a healthy lifestyle, community involvement and opportunities for personal growth for older adults.

Wendy Albin Sattin Executive Director 216-291-3902 communitypartnershiponaging.org

CORNERSTONE OF HOPE

Give support, education and hope for the grieving, guided by Christian values of compassion and service.

Mark Tripodi CEO & Founder 216-524-4673 cornerstoneofhope.org

CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE (TRI-C) FOUNDATION

Provide short-term solutions for student expenses, such as housing, food, technology and books, to help transform the region — one student at a time.

Megan O’Bryan President 216-987-4737 tri-c.edu/give

DIGITALC

Deliver high-speed internet access to underserved neighborhoods through EmpowerCLE+, an affordable wireless internet service provider.  Joshua Edmonds CEO 216-923-2240 digitalc.org

DIVERSITY CENTER OF NORTHEAST OHIO

Promote understanding and institutional equality by providing youth programming, promoting diversity and addressing workplace bias.

Mark Swaim-Fox

President & CEO 216-752-3000 diversitycenterneo.org

DRESS FOR SUCCESS CLEVELAND

Offer long-lasting solutions that enable women to break the cycle of poverty.

Melony J. Butler

CEO 216-391-2301 cleveland.dressforsuccess.org

EDEN HOUSING

Provide housing solutions to people facing the challenges of housing insecurities and homelessness.

Elaine Gimmel

Executive Director 216-961-9690 edencle.org

EDWINS LEADERSHIP & RESTAURANT INSTITUTE

Offer formerly incarcerated adults a foundation in the culinary and hospitality industries and a support network necessary for long-term success.

Brandon Edwin Chrostowski

Founder, President & CEO 216-921-3333 edwinsrestaurant.org

EMPOWER SPORTS

Enrich the lives of athletes with diverse challenges through sports and exercise while promoting kindness, character and relationships.

Tom Heines

Executive Director 216-400-8598 empowersports.org

EMPOWERING

YOUTH, EXPLORING JUSTICE (EYEJ)

Create a positive influence on Cleveland’s schools, youth and community members with a focus on Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

Mai Moore

Executive Director 216-200-7042 eyej.org

ENGAGE CLEVELAND

Attract, engage and retain young, diverse talent to Greater Cleveland by connecting young professionals to people, jobs, organizations and events.

Ashley Basile Oeken

President 216-282-5994 engagecleveland.org

EQUALITY OHIO

Advocate for LGBTQ+ Ohioans in all facets of life.

Katie Belanger

Co-Interim Executive Director 614-224-0400 equalityohio.org

ESPERANZA INC.

Empower Northeast Ohio Hispanic/ Latinx communities to flourish by equipping learners for educational attainment and lifelong success.

Victor Ruiz

President & CEO 216-651-7178 esperanzainc.org

FAIR HOUSING CENTER FOR RIGHTS & RESEARCH

Protect and expand fair housing rights, eliminate housing discrimination and promote integrated communities.

Carrie Pleasants

Executive Director 216-361-9240 thehousingcenter.org

FOSTERING HOPE

Connect and enrich youth who live in residential treatment and foster care with unique experiences of hope and healing.

Missy S. Toms

Interim Executive Director 216-633-7798 fosteringhopeohio.org

FRIENDSHIP ANIMAL PROTECTIVE LEAGUE OF LORAIN COUNTY

Ensure that healthy, adoptable animals receive the necessary care and attention they deserve until they find a new, permanent home.

Gregory Willey

Executive Director 440-322-4321 friendshipapl.org

FRONTLINE SERVICE

Assist homeless people struggling with severe, untreated mental illness and living in places not meant for human habitation.

Susan Neth CEO 216-623-6555 frontlineservice.org

GIGI’S PLAYHOUSE

Change lives through the consistent delivery of free educational, therapeuticbased and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the community through a replicable playhouse model.

Nancy Gianni

Founder & Chief Belief Officer 216-529-3333 gigisplayhouse.org

GIRL SCOUTS OF NORTH EAST OHIO

Build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

Jane Christyson CEO 800-852-4474 gsneo.org

GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF GREATER CLEVELAND & EAST CENTRAL OHIO INC.

Empower people on their journey to independence through the sale of goods, which supports employment programs and family services.

Anne Richards President & CEO 800-942-3577 goodwillgoodskills.org

GREATER CLEVELAND CONGREGATIONS

Represent members of over 30 duespaying congregations from different religions and viewpoints including Christian, Jewish, Muslim and secular.

Keisha Krumm

Executive Director & Lead Organizer 440-799-5037 greaterclevelandcongregations.org

GREATER CLEVELAND FOOD BANK

Ensure that everyone in Greater Cleveland communities has the nutritious food they need every day.

Kristin Warzocha President & CEO 216-738-2265 greaterclevelandfoodbank.org

GREATER CLEVELAND HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Help low-income families realize their dreams of homeownership and contribute to neighborhood revitalization by constructing and rehabilitating homes.

John Litten President & CEO 216-429-1299 clevelandhabitat.org

HELP FOUNDATION INC.

Provide supportive care, education and safe housing to intellectually and/ or developmentally disabled children and adults.

Tami Honkala President & CEO 216-432-4810 helpfoundationinc.org

HOPE & HEALING SURVIVOR RESOURCE CENTER

Combine the best practices of the Battered Women’s Shelter and Rape Crisis Center to provide resources for those who have been victimized by these crimes.

Teresa M. Stafford CEO 330-374-0740 hopeandhealingresources.org

HUNGER NETWORK

Provide emergency food supplies and hot meals to needy persons through more than 70 centers throughout the county.

Julie M. Johnson CEO 216-619-8155 hungernetwork.org

I AM BOUNDLESS INC.

Give person-centered care to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges.

Patrick Maynard President & CEO 216-588-8777, ext. 127 iamboundless.org

ISLAMIC CENTER  OF CLEVELAND

Provide Muslims with religious guidance, promote good-will and serve as a cultural institute.

Khaled AlNazer President 216-362-0786 iccleveland.org

JOURNEY CENTER FOR SAFETY AND HEALING

Empower people who’ve experienced domestic violence, child abuse and trauma to find a path toward healthy, thriving relationships.

Melissa Graves CEO 216-229-2420 journeyneo.org

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF GREATER CLEVELAND

Equip young people with the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their futures and make smart academic and economic choices.

Al DiFranco President 216-861-8080 cleveland.ja.org

LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF CLEVELAND, THE

Provide legal services to low-income clients in five Northeast Ohio counties.

Colleen M. Cotter Executive Director 216-687-1900 lasclev.org

LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER OF GREATER CLEVELAND

Enrich the lives of the diverse LGBTQ+ community through advocacy, support, education and celebration.

Phyllis Harris Executive Director 216-651-5428 lgbtcleveland.org

LORAIN COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY

Serve and empower Lorain County residents in need by improving the social well-being, economic capacity and opportunities for low-to-moderate income individuals and families.

Shauna Matelski Acting CEO 440-245-2009 lccaa.net

LUTHERAN METROPOLITAN MINISTRY

Promote shalom and justice through a Christian ministry of service and advocacy with those who are oppressed, forgotten and hurting.

Maria Foschia President & CEO 216-696-2715 lutheranmetro.org

MALACHI HOUSE

Meet residents’ immediate and basic human needs of food, shelter, clothing and comfort.

Judy Ghazoul Hilow Executive Director 216-621-8831 malachihouse.org

MAY DUGAN CENTER

Help people enrich and advance their lives and communities.

Rick Kemm Executive Director 216-631-5800 maydugancenter.org

MERRICK HOUSE

Encourage, educate and empower people in Tremont and its surrounding areas.

Harriet Hadley Executive Director 216-771-5077 merrickhouse.org

NCC SOLUTIONS

Provide housing and support services to individuals with developmental disabilities, enabling them to live their best lives in a community setting.

Jesse Malave CEO 440-582-3300 necare.org

NEIGHBOR UP/NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIONS

Ignite the power of everyday people to create, together, an extraordinary world right where they live in their neighborhood.

Tom O’Brien Director 216-361-0042 neighborupcle.org

NEW AVENUES TO INDEPENDENCE INC.

Uphold the dignity of persons with disabilities by increasing accessibility through innovative opportunities for community connection and achievement.

Melanie Carnes CEO 216-481-1909 newavenues.net

NORTH COAST COMMUNITY HOMES

Develop and maintain safe, comfortable and affordable community housing of high quality and provide supportive resources to optimize independence for individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges.

Chris West President & CEO 216-662-1880 ncch.org

PROVIDENCE HOUSE

Operate a crisis nursery committed to child abuse prevention and family preservation.

Natalie Leek President & CEO 216-651-5982 provhouse.org

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS EVERYWHERE (R.A.K.E.)

Support the community in a positive way to enrich lives, encourage kindness and promote the act of “paying it forward.”

Ricky Smith Founder & Executive Director rakenow.org

RECOVERY RESOURCES

Help people triumph over mental illness, alcoholism, drug abuse and other addictions.

Seona Goerndt President & CEO 216-431-4131 recres.org

RIVEON MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY (FORMERLY THE LCADA WAY AND THE NORD CENTER)

Transform lives and strengthen communities by providing comprehensive behavioral health services.

Don Schiffbauer CEO 440-204-4265 riveonhealth.org

SAY YES CLEVELAND

Partner with the Cleveland Municipal School District to improve Cleveland’s economy, neighborhoods and workforce over the coming generations.

Diane Downing Executive Director 216-273-6350 sayyescleveland.org

SHOES AND CLOTHES FOR KIDS

Improve kindergarten through eighth grade school attendance by eliminating lack of appropriate clothing, shoes and school supplies as barriers.

Monica Lloyd Executive Director 216-881-7463 sc4k.org

SISTERS OF CHARITY FOUNDATION OF CLEVELAND

Work through grantmaking and advocacy to improve the lives of those most in need including families, women and children living in poverty. Susanna Krey President 216-241-9300 socfcleveland.org

SPANISH AMERICAN COMMITTEE

Act and serve as a gateway to socioeconomic success for individuals and families in Northeast Ohio while maintaining and celebrating a Latino perspective and focus to all.

Ramonita Vargas CEO 216-961-2100 spanishamerican.org

ST. HERMAN HOUSEFOCUS HOUSE

Shelter and support homeless men on the path to well-being and independence and meet the basic needs of people in the community.

Kirk Ries Director 216-961-3806 sainthermans.org

STELLA MARIS

Provide transformational chemical dependency treatment and mental health services.

Daniel Lettenberger-Klein CEO 216-781-0550 stellamariscleveland.com

STEP FORWARD

Help low-income individuals and families address immediate needs and build long-term skills to transform their lives through early childhood education programs, adult life skills training and other support.

Dr. Jacklyn Chisholm President & CEO 216-696-9077 stepforwardtoday.org

TOWARDS EMPLOYEMENT

Get more people into good careers with family-sustaining wages and opportunities to advance through skill development, comprehensive support, career coaching and direct connections to employers.

Jill Rizika President & CEO 216-696-5750 towardsemployment.org

UNITED BLACK FUND OF GREATER CLEVELAND INC.

Provide financial support for other agencies servicing the Black community.

Cecil Lipscomb President & CEO 216-566-9263 unitedblackfund.org

UNITED WAY OF GREATER CLEVELAND

Invest in solutions to address diversity, inclusion and poverty and to improve health equity.

Sharon Sobol Jordan President & CEO 216-436-2100 unitedwaycleveland.org

UNITED WAY OF LAKE COUNTY

Improve the quality of lives of people in Lake County.

Dione DeMitro President & CEO 440-352-3166 uwlc.org

UNITED WAY OF LORAIN COUNTY

Lead measurable community transformation, creating a better life for all by connecting community partners through collective impact in health, education and financial stability.

Ryan Aroney President & CEO 440-277-6530 uwloraincounty.org

UNITED WAY OF SUMMIT AND MEDINA COUNTIES

Improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of the community to advance the common good.

Jim Mullen President & CEO 330-762-7601 uwsummitmedina.org

UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT

Offer individuals and families resources by which they can learn, grow and thrive.

Richaun Bunton Executive Director 216-641-8948 universitysettlement.net

URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER CLEVELAND

Enable minorities to develop their potential through education, youth development, entrepreneurship, workforce development and advocacy.

Marsha A. Mockabee President & CEO 216-622-0999 ulcleveland.org

VICTORY GALLOP

Provide therapeutic and recreational horseback riding for children with behavioral and/or emotional challenges and life-threatening illnesses.

Sue Miller Co-Founder 330-666-0300 victorygallop.org

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE SERVICES

Provide vocational rehabilitation services to assist individuals with disabilities to achieve greater independence and attain employment.

Susie M. Barragate President & CEO 216-431-7800 vgsjob.org

WIGS FOR KIDS

Bring together stylists and hair donors to help children suffering from hair loss due to medical issues and treatments look themselves and improve their self-image and self-esteem.

Jeffrey Paul Founder & Executive Director 440-333-4433 wigsforkids.org

YMCA OF GREATER CLEVELAND

Put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

Timothy Hilk President & CEO 216-781-1337 clevelandymca.org

YOUNG LATINO NETWORK

Empower the Latino community through leadership, development and civic engagement.

Selina M. Pagan Executive Director 216-258-0924 ylncle.org

YOUTH CHALLENGE

Bring together young people with physical disabilities and teen volunteers who inspire each other through adapted sports and recreation activities.

Greer T. Gibbons President 440-892-1001 youthchallengesports.com

YWCA GREATER CLEVELAND

Eliminate racism by empowering women and ending homelessness through trauma-informed services, empowerment programming and advocacy.

Helen Forbes Fields President & CEO 216-881-6878 ywcaofcleveland.org

ZELIE’S HOME

Serve mothers and children by providing housing, food, life skills, education and other physical, emotional, spiritual and professional support.

Erin Hathaway Executive Director 440-886-2620 zelieshome.org

Economic Development

AKRON CLEVELAND ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

Be the leading resource and advocate for the real estate community, enhance the ability, conduct and image of its members and protect and promote real property rights.

Mike Valerino CEO 216-901-0130 akronclevelandrealtors.com

BUSINESS ADVISERS OF CLEVELAND

Provide business advice and counseling to public and private, large and small and for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Robert Bathgate President 216-426-2053 bacleveland.org

BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS UNLIMITED

Engage, connect and strengthen businesses, nonprofits and the community.

Elizabeth Voudouris President & CEO 216-736-7711 bvuvolunteers.org

CLEVELAND NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRESS

Foster equitable revitalization throughout Cleveland’s neighborhoods by strengthening the community development ecosystem.

Tania Menesse President & CEO 216-830-2770 clevelandnp.org

COLLEGE NOW GREATER CLEVELAND

Increase postsecondary educational attainment through college and career access advising, financial aid counseling and retention services.

Michele Scott Taylor CEO 216-241-5587 collegenowgc.org

DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND ALLIANCE

Attract talent, jobs, residents and investment through market influence, community impact and irresistible experiences.

Michael Deemer

President & CEO 216-736-7799 downtowncleveland.com

DRINK LOCAL DRINK TAP

Solve global water equity through education, advocacy and communitycentered water, sanitation and hygiene projects.

Erin Huber Rosen Executive Director 440-381-6430 drinklocaldrinktap.org

FUND

FOR OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE

Create space for philanthropic funders and civic leaders to explore what matters and implement what works to achieve equitable economic growth, emphasizing systemic, longterm change.

Bethia Burke President 216-456-9800 thefundneo.org

GLOBAL CLEVELAND

Grow Northeast Ohio’s economy by welcoming and connecting international people to opportunities and fostering a more inviting community for those seeking a place to call home.

Joe Cimperman President & CEO 216-472-3282 globalcleveland.org

JUMPSTART INC.

Provide capital, services and connections to help entrepreneurs and early-stage tech ventures grow, researchers commercialize and corporations innovate.

Julie Jacono CEO 216-363-3400 jumpstartinc.org

MANUFACTURING ADVOCACY & GROWTH NETWORK (MAGNET)

Provide consulting services and programs to help manufacturers grow companies, launch new ideas and strengthen their workforce.

Ethan Karp

President & CEO 216-543-1222 manufacturingsuccess.org

Foundations

AKRON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Build permanent endowments and partner with fundholders and agencies to encourage philanthropy.

John T. Petures Jr. President & CEO 330-376-8522 akroncf.org

CAVALIERS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Invest in organizations that directly support the development and wellbeing of youth in Northeast Ohio.

Nic Barlage CEO 216-420-2000 nba.com/cavaliers/community/ foundation

CLEVELAND BROWNS FOUNDATION

Take a solution-based, holistic approach to ensure Northeast Ohio youth receive the development and education they need as a foundation for independence and success.

Renee Harvey Vice President & Executive Director 440-891-5000 clevelandbrowns.com/foundation

CLEVELAND FOUNDATION

Enhance the lives of residents by building community endowment, grantmaking and providing leadership on key community issues.

Lillian Kuri

President & CEO 216-861-3810 clevelandfoundation.org

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS CHARITIES

Operate a private foundation of the Guardians that raises money through programs, events and player contributions to support recreational and youth programs.

Rebecca Kodysh Executive Director 216-420-4487 mlb.com/guardians/community/charities

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF LORAIN COUNTY

Cultivate a culture of philanthropy and strengthen Lorain County through leadership and grantmaking.

Cynthia Andrews President & CEO 440-984-7390 peoplewhocare.org

COMMUNITY WEST FOUNDATION

Advance the health and well-being of our community.

Martin Uhle President & CEO 440-360-7370 communitywestfoundation.org

GUND FOUNDATION

Invest in Greater Cleveland with a focus on climate change and environmental degradation, inequality and strengthening democracy.

Tony Richardson President 216-241-3114 gundfoundation.org

JACK, JOSEPH AND MORTON MANDEL FOUNDATION

Support leadership educational programs at its own institutions and with select universities and organizations.

Jehuda Reinharz President & CEO 216-875-6539 mandelfoundation.org

KAULIG GIVING

Bring forth direct giving, community involvement and significant partnerships focusing on the health and well-being of children and families in Northeast Ohio.

Matt Kaulig Executive Chairman & Owner 330-968-1110 kauliggiving.com

MCGREGOR FOUNDATION

Support seniors in need and those who serve them.

Ann Conn President & CEO 216-851-8200 mcgregorfoundation.org

NORD FAMILY FOUNDATION

Support projects that bring opportunity to the underresourced, strengthen the bond of families and improve the quality of people’s lives.

Tina Kimbrough Executive Director 440-984-3939 nordff.org

Health

ACHIEVEMENT CENTERS FOR CHILDREN

Empower children and adults with disabilities and their families to achieve their greatest potential.

Bernadette Kerrigan President & CEO 216-292-9700 achievementcenters.org

ALS ASSOCIATION NORTHERN OHIO CHAPTER

Discover treatments and a cure for ALS and serve, advocate for and empower people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest.

Jill Spencer Chair 216-592-2572 als.org/northern-ohio

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, HOPE LODGE

Provide free, temporary housing during treatment for cancer patients (and caregivers) who live more than 40 miles from treatment center.

Cristina Williams Director 216-400-0922 cancer.org/support-programsand-services/patient-lodging/ hope-lodge/cleveland

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION

Support programs and research focused on fighting heart disease and stroke.

Shelley Webber

Executive Director 216-791-7500 heart.org/en/affiliates/ohio/cleveland

AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION

Save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research.

Kimberly Covey

Executive Director 216-524-5864 lung.org

ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION

Conquer arthritis by connecting individuals with arthritis to resources and others who understand the challenges, as well as shaping and influencing health care policies.

Anne Reitzes

Executive Director 330-967-2723 arthritis.org

BENJAMIN ROSE INSTITUTE ON AGING

Support caregivers and empower all people to age well by providing in-person and phone-based health service, research service and public policy advocacy.

Orion H. Bell

President & CEO 216-791-8000 benrose.org

BIRTHING BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITIES

Provide intensive peer-to-peer support to low-income families throughout pregnancy, during labor and birth and up to babies’ first year.

Jazmin Long President & CEO 216-307-1538 birthingbeautiful.org

CLEVELAND HEARING & SPEECH CENTER

Serve people with communication needs and increase awareness about hearing, speech and deaf issues.

Jennell Vick

Executive Director 216-231-8787 chsc.org

CLEVELAND RONALD

MCDONALD HOUSE OF CHARITIES

Enhance the health care experience for families and children through comfort, care and supportive services.

Craig Wilson CEO 216-229-5758 rmhcneo.org

CLEVELAND SIGHT CENTER

Provide individualized support and tools to navigate the visual world.

Larry Benders

President & CEO 216-791-8118 clevelandsightcenter.org

COLEMAN HEALTH SERVICES

Offer comprehensive behaviorial health, residential, employment and supportive services to 10 Ohio counties and surrounding communities.

Hattie Tracy President & CEO 330-673-1347 colemanservices.org

DOWN SYNDROME ASSOCIATION OF NORTHEAST OHIO

Provide support, education and advocacy for people with Down syndrome, their families and communities.

Toni Mullee Executive Director 216-447-8763 dsaneo.org

ELIZA BRYANT VILLAGE

Provide quality services, outreach programs and a dignified, compassionate and secure living environment for seniors.

Bridgette Rodgers CEO & Director of Housing 216-361-6141 elizabryant.org

ELIZA JENNINGS

Operate senior residential facilities providing planned activities such as social clubs, crafting, on-site entertainment, exercise and shuttle buses.

Richard Boyson Jr. President & CEO 216-226-5000 elizajennings.org

FEARLESS FIGHTERS FOUNDATION

Fund advanced pediatric cancer research, ease the financial strain of families facing it and supply those families with resources to help keep them connected and together.

Edward J. Fink President & Founder 330-283-5708 fearless-fighters.org

FIRST YEAR CLEVELAND

Mobilize the community through partnerships and a unified strategy to reduce infant deaths and racial disparities.

Angela Newman-White Executive Director 216-368-5017 firstyearcleveland.org

GATHERING PLACE, THE

Support, educate and empower individuals and families coping with the impact of cancer through programs and services provided free of charge.

Michele Seyranian CEO 216-595-9546 touchedbycancer.org

HATTIE LARLHAM

Provide care for children and adults with developmental disabilities in Northeast and Central Ohio.

Stephen Colecchi CEO 330-274-2272 hattielarlham.org

HEARTS OF PATRIOTS

Support the spouse, partner or family member closest to a veteran with post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury with education, resources and information.

Denise Weller Co-Founder 440- 477-4704 vetspouse.org

HOSPICE OF THE WESTERN RESERVE

Offer hospice, palliative care, caregiver support and bereavement services.

William E. Finn

President & CEO 216-383-2222 hospicewr.org

JEWISH FEDERATION OF CLEVELAND

Focus on the health of the Jewish community with direct services, education and planning guided by traditional Jewish values.

Erika B. Rudin-Luria President 216-593-2900 jewishcleveland.org

LIFEBANC

Work with 80 hospitals in Northeast Ohio to save lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.

Gordon Bowen CEO 216-752-5433 lifebanc.org

MEDWISH INTERNATIONAL

Repurpose and distribute surplus medical supplies as local and global humanitarian aid.

Britta Latz Executive Director 216-692-1685 medwish.org

NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION NORTHERN OHIO

Prevent kidney disease, improve the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by kidney disease and increase the availability of kidneys for transplantation.

Anna S. Tzinis Executive Director 440-465-0245 kidney.org/offices/nkf-serving-northern-ohio

PRAYERS FROM MARIA

Fund global research and increase public awareness about the causes, prevention, treatments and cure for the deadliest childhood brain tumors.

Ed & Megan McNamara Co-Founders 216-727-3511 prayersfrommaria.org

SMILES FOR SOPHIE FOREVER FOUNDATION

Provide financial support to St. Jude’s Research Hospital and families burdened by pediatric brain tumors and increase awareness of pediatric brain tumors.

Marc & Emily Quayle Co-Founders smilesforsophieforever.org

SUSAN G. KOMEN NORTHEAST OHIO

Save lives by meeting the most critical needs of communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.

Sean Shacklett

Executive Director 216-815-2009 komen.org/community/ohio/northeast-ohio-cleveland-akron

UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY OF GREATER CLEVELAND

Empower children and adults with disabilities to advance their independence, productivity and inclusion in the community.

Beth A. Lucas

President & CEO 216-791-8363 ucpcleveland.org

VELOSANO

Schedule bike-oriented events and fundraising to support lifesaving cancer research at Cleveland Clinic.

Nicole Peters

Executive Director 216-444-6150 velosano.org

WESTERN RESERVE AREA AGENCY ON AGING

Offer services and programs to give older adults and persons with disabilities information, assistance, consultation and long-term care services.

E. Douglas Beach

CEO 216-621-0303 areaagingsolutions.org

Recreation & Environment

BIKE CLEVELAND

Create a region that is sustainable, connected, healthy and vibrant by promoting bicycling and advocating for safe and equitable transportation for all.

Jacob VanSickle

Executive Director 216-245-3101 bikecleveland.org

CANALWAY PARTNERS

Preserve the natural and cultural experiences of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area by serving as a catalyst for projects and programs.

Mera Cardenas

Executive Director 216-520-1825 canalwaypartners.com

CLEVELAND WATER ALLIANCE

Produce a clean water innovation ecosystem that harnesses technology, spurs the economy, enhances education and drives research.

Bryan Stubbs

Executive Director & President 216-282-3400 clevelandwateralliance.org

CLEVELAND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Create compelling experiences by connecting people with wildlife and inspiring responsibility for conserving the natural world.

Sarah Crupi

Executive Director 216-635-3329 clevelandzoosociety.org

CONSERVANCY FOR THE CUYAHOGA VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

Preserve the natural and cultural resources of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of all generations.

Deb Yandala

President & CEO 330-657-2909 conservancyforcvnp.org

FOUNDRY, THE

Transform the lives of Cleveland’s youth through access to the sports of rowing and sailing.

Gina Trebilcock

Executive Director 440-596-7069 clevelandfoundry.org

GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER

Make science, technology, engineering and math come alive and direct people to value science to inform decisionmaking and enrich lives.

Kirsten M. Ellenbogen

President & CEO 216-694-2000 greatscience.com

GREATER CLEVELAND AQUARIUM

Energize curiousity about aquatic life and the environment to inspire positive action.

Stephanie White General Manager 216-862-8803 greaterclevelandaquarium.com

GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS COMMISSION

Improve the economy of Greater Cleveland and enrich the community by attracting, creating, managing and enhancing significant sporting and competitive events.

David Gilbert President & CEO 216-621-0600 clevelandsports.org

GREEN RIBBON COALITION

Champion and safeguard Lake Erie’s lakefront as a recreational and economic asset.

Dick Clough Executive Board Chair 216-226-9040 greenribbonlakefront.org

HIRAM HOUSE CAMP

Help youth of all backgrounds from the local communities discover the joys and beauty of nature through camping and develop vital physical, mental, emotional and social skills.

Courtney Nicolai Executive Director 216-831-5045 hiramhousecamp.org

HOLDEN FORESTS & GARDENS

Operate Holden Arboretum and Cleveland Botanical Garden to promote plant conservation and plant research.

Edward Moydell President & CEO 440-946-4400 holdenfg.org

LAKE ERIE FOUNDATION

Protect the waters of Lake Erie by advocating for economic sustainability, legal defense, education, outreach and innovative sustainable technology.

Jim Stouffer President 419-301-3743 lakeeriefoundation.org

LAKE ERIE NATURE & SCIENCE CENTER

Give every child and adult the opportunity to make a lasting connection to the natural world and to build a lifelong passion for discovery.

Catherine Timko Executive Director 440-871-2900 lensc.org

LAKE VIEW CEMETERY

Create a peaceful, beautiful final resting place that would also serve as a space for the living to enjoy.

Katharine Goss President & CEO 216-421-2665 lakeviewcemetery.com

NATURE CENTER AT SHAKER LAKES

Conserve Shaker Lakes as a natural area, connect people with nature and inspire environmental stewardship.

Peter Bode President & CEO 216-321-5935 shakerlakes.org

REC2CONNECT FOUNDATION

Connect people with special needs and their families to community recreation, wellness and lifetime leisure skills through innovative recreation therapy programming.

Jennifer Knott Executive Director & Founder 330-703-9001 rec2connect.org

WESTERN RESERVE LAND CONSERVANCY

Provide the people of Northeast Ohio with essential natural assets through land conservation and restoration.

Rich Cochran President & CEO 440-528-4150 wrlandconservancy.org

Cuyahoga Community College Foundation

700 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland | 216-987-4868 | tri-c.edu/give

MISSION & PROGRAMS

The Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that seeks funding for programs, services and scholarships for the College. Its mission is to provide resources for advancing student success and transforming the lives of those Tri-C serves.

The Foundation ensures that Tri-C has the resources to help every student learn, thrive and succeed and to create a prosperous community for all.

The Tri-C Foundation’s philanthropic goals prioritize:

• Increasing access to training and education

• Making education more affordable

• Training people for life-changing work

• Connecting students to well-paid, in-demand jobs in this community

Founded in 1963 as Ohio’s first community college, Tri-C serves more than 41,000 credit and noncredit students each year. Its mission is to provide educational opportunities and services that promote individual development and improve the quality of life in a multicultural community.

A Tri-C education can decrease employment inequity and income inequality and prepare students to work in high-demand industries like information technology, public safety, nursing and health careers, creative arts and manufacturing technology.

Low tuition, distance learning, flexible scheduling, countywide instructional sites and superior student support make the College accessible and effective for students from all backgrounds. As they achieve academic success, 90% of Tri-C graduates remain in Northeast Ohio, contributing to the economic vitality of our region.

FUNDRAISING

The Tri-C Foundation seeks charitable investments to support Tri-C programs and scholarships, ensuring financial stability for the College and its students.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Visit tri-c.edu/give, call 216-987-4868 or email foundation@tri-c.edu.

TOP EXECUTIVE: Megan

O’Bryan, President

YEAR FOUNDED: 1973

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS: 200-plus

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

“I am thankful for the generous financial support of the Tri-C Foundation, and the many supportive programs at the College. They have helped shape my personal development and educational journey.”

— Daniel Morgan Jr.

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland

1223 W. Sixth St., Cleveland | lasclev.org

MISSION & PROGRAMS

TOP EXECUTIVE:

Colleen Cotter, Esq., Executive Director

YEAR FOUNDED: 1905 NUMBER OF PROGRAMS: 6

Legal Aid’s mission is to secure justice, equity and access to opportunity for and with people who have low incomes through passionate legal representation and advocacy for systemic change. This mission centers on our vision for Northeast Ohio to be a place where all people experience dignity and justice free from poverty and oppression.

In the U.S. justice system, the right to an attorney does not extend to civil legal cases like it does for criminal cases. That means people facing eviction, domestic violence, employment discrimination or other serious civil legal threats must defend their rights by themselves if they cannot afford an attorney. This creates a serious justice gap for people living on low incomes.

Legal Aid believes everyone should have access to justice — regardless of how much money they have. That is why we provide free, high-quality legal services for people with low incomes. Every day, we help people protect their rights and their basic needs when they face threats to their home, health, safety or financial security. We also educate the community on their rights and advocate for long-term systemic changes to address the problems of poverty, racism and inequality. In this way, we are making Northeast Ohio a more just and equitable community.

FUNDRAISING

With generous community support, Legal Aid impacted 24,400 people through 9,000 cases last year. Thousands more people were impacted by our community education and advocacy work.

Contributions from people like you allow Legal Aid to provide essential services at no cost to our clients. As more people turn to Legal Aid for help protecting their rights, your support will help us secure justice for more people in Northeast Ohio. Visit lasclev.org/ donate to make a gift today.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We need your partnership to reach more families when and where they need legal help. By donating, volunteering or advocating, you can support critical work that helps individuals build paths to stability and communities build greater equity.

Visit lasclev.org to find ways to get involved, and follow us on social media to keep up with exciting news and events.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

“[Legal Aid] helped me keep my home after several attempts from [my apartment complex] to evict me and my children. In the most stressful time, my attorney was so amazing, better than any paid attorney I have had or seen by others. She is genuine in her work, and I will never forget what she’s done for me … She fights for what’s right and does not make you feel like this is a free service. She is very professional and a blessing.”

— Legal Aid Client

Beech Brook

13201 Granger Road, Suite 8, Cleveland | beechbrook.org

MISSION & PROGRAMS

At Beech Brook, we believe all children deserve the chance to grow up in safe and healthy families with the support they need to reach their full potential.

Since 1852, that’s been our guiding principle. Our work has changed as the times and needs of families have changed, but that belief remains at the heart of our mission.

We work with over 10,000 children and families each year to provide trauma-informed mental health services, parent education, comprehensive sex education and foster care to help all children and families thrive.

Today, we are putting “Hope in Action” for thousands of children and families in Northeast Ohio by actively building stronger families, healing troubled children and supporting parents. Through these efforts, we are not just offering hope, but creating real, positive change and planting the seeds for a brighter future.

Birthing CommunitiesBeautiful

MISSION & PROGRAMS

Birthing Beautiful Communities (BBC) was established to address and improve the systemic and community structures that lead to poor birth outcomes. This mission is achieved through Culture, Education, Advocacy, Support and Engagement (CEASE). BBC holistically supports expectant birthing persons in delivering full-term, healthy babies and in achieving equitable birth outcomes.

Birthing Beautiful Communities is a community of birth workers, or doulas, primarily providing social support to birthing persons at highest risk for infant mortality during the perinatal period. Embedded within BBC’s wraparound services are holistic strategies to address the social determinants that impact maternal health and infant mortality.

Birthing Beautiful Communities intends to provide exceptional perinatal support, birth and breastfeeding options to communities at risk for infant mortality, in their communities, by people who look like them.

FUNDRAISING

Fundraising activities include the #GivingTuesday Toy Drive to benefit Beech Brook’s children and families who may otherwise go without holiday gifts, and Bash for the Brook, an annual fundraiser to support Beech Brook’s programs.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

In addition to monetary donations, you can become an event sponsor or attend one of Beech Brook’s events. Other ways to help include organizing a holiday toy drive at your workplace, school or place of worship; donating in-kind gifts (gift cards, personal care items and toys) and sharing your time and talents by joining a committee or task force.

TOP EXECUTIVE: Thomas P. Royer, President and CEO

YEAR FOUNDED: 1852

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS: 40

Programs include Doula Training, Perinatal Doula Support, Our Wellness Network, Empowered Parents Initiate Change (EPIC) and Birthing Moms Unchained: Providing Exceptional Perinatal Support to the Confined program.

FUNDRAISING

BBC’s “Village of Joy: Empowering Communities & Illuminating Futures” is a comprehensive campaign that will raise $15 million to support construction, operations and programming costs for the new Birth Center & Headquarters.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Join us in changing the narrative of maternal and infant health in our community with the construction of our Birth Center & Headquarters. Learn more by visiting birthingbeautiful.org/village-of-joy.

TOP EXECUTIVE: Jazmin Long, MSSA, MNO, President and CEO

YEAR FOUNDED: 2014

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS: 5

Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio

Cleveland | 216-883-2106 | bgcneo.org

MISSION & PROGRAMS

Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio (BGCNEO) provides safe, fun after-school spaces for kids ages 6 to 18, focusing on academic success, healthy lifestyles and leadership. At our 32 sites across Northeast Ohio, youth receive homework help, play sports and participate in arts, leadership and career readiness programs. Members also receive a free meal each day and guidance from caring mentors. This allows parents to stay at work, knowing their children are in a safe, positive environment. There is no cost to join, and 76% of low-income members ages 12 to 18 report earning mostly As and Bs, compared to 67% of their peers nationally.

FUNDRAISING

BGCNEO believes every young person deserves opportunities that prepare them for life

after high school. To continue serving as many kids as possible despite funding cuts, we are asking for community support. Your donations will help us grow membership and provide more opportunities for Northeast Ohio’s youth.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

To give, visit bgcneo.org/donate. For corporate campaign information, contact Erin Turner at eturner@bgcneo.org. For asset donations, reach out to Kim Cole at kcole@bgcneo.org. To volunteer, contact Adria Chavers at achavers@ bgcneo.org. Together, we can help create great futures for our kids.

TOP EXECUTIVE: Allen Smith, CEO

YEAR FOUNDED: 1954

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS: 12

Cleveland Foundation

6601 Euclid Ave., Cleveland | clevelandfoundation.org

MISSION & PROGRAMS

Established in 1914, the Cleveland Foundation is the world’s first community foundation and one of the largest today, with $3.1 billion in assets and 2023 grants of more than $172 million.

The Cleveland Foundation’s move to a new headquarters in MidTown marked the beginning of an enterprise-wide transformation to create a proactive and sustainable model for the next 100 years. The foundation is expanding its toolbox of resources — grant dollars, investments, real estate and more — to accelerate its vision of a vibrant Northeast Ohio where no Clevelander is left behind.

FUNDRAISING

Giving to the foundation is flexible: You can donate to an existing fund or to a broad program area that addresses a specific community issue. You can also choose to make a donation that meets the area of greatest need. For individuals,

families and organizations interested in establishing a charitable fund or giving plan, we offer many creative and rewarding ways to support the community — some with significant tax advantages. Learn more about becoming a donor via clevelandfoundation.org/give.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

You can make a tax-deducible online gift to the foundation today via clevelandfoundation. org/givenow. Learn more about becoming a donor by visiting our website or by calling 216685-2006.

TOP EXECUTIVE: Lillian Kuri, President and CEO

YEAR FOUNDED: 1914

Cleveland Museum of Natural History

1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland | 216-231-4600 | cmnh.org

MISSION & PROGRAMS

Since its founding in 1920, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History has pursued scientific research and used its outstanding collections to promote science literacy, inspiring all to understand their interconnectedness with nature. Today, we continue to innovate. President and CEO Sonia Winner is leading the most comprehensive transformation in the museum’s 104-year existence — one that will place our audiences at the center of the experience and address the critical issues of our changing world.

FUNDRAISING

Our Transforming the World of Discovery campaign supports the full reinvention of all exhibits and content to highlight the inseparable connection between humans and nature, pioneering a new model for natural history museums. Slated for completion in December 2024, our transformation will expand our campus to more than 375,000

square feet, showcase the museum’s world-class assets and reflect its critical role as a trusted community resource. Learn how you can be part of this once-in-a-generation project by visiting cmnhtransformation.org.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Your generous support of our Annual Fund provides the foundation for the work happening every day at the museum. By investing in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, you empower us to protect our planet, make groundbreaking discoveries and inspire the next generation of citizen scientists. Every contribution, no matter the amount, makes a difference. To learn more about donor impact and ways to give, please visit cmnh.org/donate.

Cleveland Zoological Society

3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland | 216-635-3329 | clevelandzoosociety.org

MISSION & PROGRAMS

The Cleveland Zoological Society is Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s nonprofit advancement partner that raises philanthropic support for the zoo. The Zoo Society is governed by a board of directors and is an independent 501(c)(3).

Funds secured each year support campus renewal and the zoo’s national leadership role in animal health and research, inquiry-based STEM educational programming and conservation efforts that make a real difference for threatened species in the wild.

The Zoo Society contributes more than $500,000 annually to support the zoo’s international conservation partners.

Maintaining the largest membership program in Northeast Ohio (more than 40,000 households), the Zoo Society offers several membership levels tailored to individuals, families and young professionals and regularly achieves a 95% customer satisfaction rating.

FUNDRAISING

Events and experiences invite the Zoo Society’s donors and partners to see the zoo in new ways throughout the year, and ticketed fundraising events raise more than $1 million annually. Twilight at the Zoo, the Tails + Cocktails speaker series and the Sunset Safari dinner experience have become can’t-miss traditions.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

TOP EXECUTIVE: Sonia Winner, President and CEO

YEAR FOUNDED: 1920

The Zoo Society is resourceful, transparent and unwavering in its mission to secure ongoing financial support for the zoo. There are many ways that individuals, foundations and corporations can support our work.

Visit clevelandzoosociety.org/donate or contact the Advancement team at 216-661-6500, ext. 4440 to begin the conversation.

TOP EXECUTIVE: Sarah Crupi, Chief Executive Officer

YEAR FOUNDED: 1957

Cuyahoga County Public Library

2111 Snow Road, Parma | 216-398-1800 | cuyahogalibrary.org

MISSION & PROGRAMS

Cuyahoga County Public Library’s mission is to empower individuals and communities by providing opportunities for all to read, learn, create and connect. We envision a thriving and inclusive Cuyahoga County where all residents benefit from and are inspired by the library’s innovative resources, services and programs.

FUNDRAISING

Cuyahoga County Public Library’s core community programs and services are largely supported by charitable organizations and individual donors. The Cuyahoga County Public Library Foundation is a separate 501(c)(3) organization that exists to support the library’s mission and to raise financial resources and awareness of the library’s critical role in the community. Each year, the CCPL Foundation

Great Lakes Science Center

601 Erieside Ave., Cleveland | greatscience.com

MISSION & PROGRAMS

Great Lakes Science Center delivers high-quality, educational exhibits and programming in service of its mission to make science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) come alive.

As our region’s leading science and technology center, we provide a program-rich learning environment, with interactive exhibits, the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, laboratory and workshop spaces, seasonal camps and community outreach events that engage and inspire learners of all ages.

In spring of 2025, the Science Center will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the historic steamship William G. Mather. The restored 618foot Great Lakes freighter was once the flagship of the Cleveland Cliffs fleet and earned the nickname, “the ship that built Cleveland.” Built in 1925, the Mather has called the dock behind the Science Center home since 2005.

designates funds in support of services and programs that align with the library’s strategic priorities — early childhood success, out-of-school time support for students, workforce development and digital equity and inclusion. Many of these impactful programs and services would not be possible without the support of the CCPL Foundation.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

There are many ways you can support the work of the CCPL Foundation, including secure online donations, memorial gifts, donor-advised funds and matching gifts. Visit ccplfoundation.org for more information.

TOP EXECUTIVE: Tracy R. Strobel, CEO

YEAR FOUNDED: 1922

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS: 13,765

FUNDRAISING

Gifts to the annual fund provide critical operating support to programs that will inspire future STEM professionals. Legacy gifts, naming rights and other investments in our endowment will ensure access to STEM educational experiences in our community, cultivating generation after generation of scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and innovators for years to come.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

You can make an impact with a tax-deductible gift at greatscience.com/support/make-donation or by calling 216-696-4260.

TOP

EXECUTIVE: Kirsten M. Ellenbogen, Ph.D., President & CEO

YEAR FOUNDED: 1996

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS: 31

Holden Forests & Gardens

9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland | holdenfg.org

MISSION & PROGRAMS

Plants and trees give us every breath we take and the food we eat. But anyone who has ever walked through an old growth forest, a field of wildflowers or an ornamental garden knows that nature also sustains our minds and spirits, our inspiration and creativity and our connection with those we love. For nearly 100 years, the Holden Arboretum and Cleveland Botanical Garden (dba Holden Forests & Gardens) have given Northeast Ohio the space to spark a lifelong love of plants and trees. Our mission is to connect people with the wonder, beauty and value of trees and plants to inspire action for healthy communities.

FUNDRAISING

Philanthropy supports our nationally recognized research on trees and other plants, education and

I Am Boundless

6161 Oaktree Blvd., Independence | 800-409-2729 | iamboundless.org

MISSION & PROGRAMS

For more than 40 years, Boundless has provided people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and behavioral health challenges the freedom and opportunity to live boundless lives. Boundless is the largest I/DD service provider in the state and serves 60 counties, including Cuyahoga, Lorain, Medina and Summit. Our mission is to build a world that realizes the boundless potential of all people. Everything we do is shaped by our values of love, respect, empowerment, excellence and well-being.

We are constantly looking for ways to better serve the I/DD and behavioral health communities, from the first of its kind health and dental clinic to over 50 warm and inviting residential homes around the Cleveland area. Our range of programs and services empower children, adolescents and adults to become more active participants in the communities where they live, work and play. All Boundless

intern programs that touch nearly 60,000 people annually from preschool through adulthood, and community conservation work. By investing in our future, you advance our mission to cultivate widespread enjoyment and understanding of all things green.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

To make a gift or become a member, visit holdenfg.org. Your gift will help sustain and grow these awe-inspiring community assets and support our mission programs. By mail: Holden Forests & Gardens, P.O. Box 74422, Cleveland, OH 44194-0002.

TOP EXECUTIVE: Ed Moydell, President and CEO

YEAR FOUNDED: 1931

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS: 15

programs are person-centered — designed to meet each individual’s unique needs and with their local resources in mind.

FUNDRAISING

Your generosity fuels our mission and helps build a world that realizes the boundless potential of all people. Visit iamboundless.org/donate to learn more and make a donation.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Volunteer your time or resources to help us make a difference. Visit iamboundless.org/getinvolved to learn more.

TOP EXECUTIVE: Dr. Patrick Maynard, President and CEO

YEAR FOUNDED: 1980

Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Ave., Cleveland | 216-916-6100 | Ideastream.org

MISSION & PROGRAMS

Ideastream Public Media serves the people of Northeast Ohio as a trustworthy and dynamic multimedia source for illuminating the world around us. As Ohio’s largest independent, publicly supported media organization, Ideastream is indispensable and highly valued for its unique ability to strengthen our community. We are composed of WKSU, the region’s NPR station offering essential news and information on local, statewide and national levels, WVIZ, the home of PBS and PBS Kids bringing you inspiring arts and entertainment programming, WCLV, broadcasting timeless classical music for over 60 years, and the newly launched JazzNEO, a 24/7 jazz station available via streaming and on HD radio. Through community engagement experiences and enriching educational programs, we provide free, valuable resources to over 3.6 million people in 22 counties across radio, TV and digital platforms. Ideastream is dedicated to meeting the communities we serve where they are and when they need us.

FUNDRAISING

Ideastream is a beacon of truth, knowledge and inspiration for Northeast Ohio. We are dedicated to fostering a community built on fairness, understanding and cultural enrichment by providing a diverse array of content including news and information, arts and entertainment, classical and jazz music and learning resources. Public support is what makes it all possible.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Become a member, IdeaLeader or corporate supporter today. Your support ensures the programs and services Ideastream provides to Northeast Ohio remain now and for future generations. Visit ideastream.org and become a sustaining member today.

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center

28728 Wolf Road, Bay Village | 440-871-2900 | lensc.org

MISSION & PROGRAMS

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center educates and inspires each of us to understand, appreciate and take responsibility for our natural world. A unique combination of resources can be found only at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center: live animal exhibits, wildlife rehabilitation services, a public access planetarium, a nature-based preschool and animal programs for all ages. The Center is one of the region’s most affordable and accessible destinations to learn about our environment, offering free general admission and free wildlife rehabilitation services to more than 100,000 visitors each year.

FUNDRAISING

As an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center relies on donations, grants and program fees to deliver its mission. Donations help the Center provide

free general admission to indoor and outdoor exhibits, nature-based programs for all ages and wildlife rehabilitation services at no charge to the public. The Center also relies on philanthropic support for capital improvements including its Wildlife Gardens Education and Renovation Project. This Project will transform the outdoor Wildlife Gardens to give visitors better visibility of the Center’s resident animals and wildlife rehabilitation efforts.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

YEAR FOUNDED: 2001

You can support the Center in providing access to nature education and help for native wildlife by visiting lensc.org/donations.

TOP EXECUTIVE: Catherine Timko, Executive Director

YEAR FOUNDED: 1945

TOP EXECUTIVE: Kevin E. Martin, President and CEO

Urban League of Greater Cleveland Inc.

2930 Prospect Ave. E. | ulcleveland.org

MISSION & PROGRAMS

The Urban League of Greater Cleveland is a community-based organization focused on eliminating the racial, economic and societal barriers that prevent Black Americans and other underrepresented/ underserved communities of color from achieving their full potential. Ultimately, our imperative is to ensure that every member of our community has equitable civil rights, access to education, workforce development and economic empowerment.

We accomplish this through education, research, advocacy and provision of services. ULGC’s work is focused in the areas of workforce development, education and youth and economic empowerment and, unlike many social service organizations, is undergirded by civil rights and racial justice. We continue to address gaps in equity by removing the barriers to access for all people, regardless of race or class. We are community responsive, turning no one away who needs our

services. Part of our mission statement is that “we empower communities and change lives.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Corporate community contributions support the numerous valuable program areas offered by the Urban League, including:

• Education and Youth Development: Helping to mold the future direction of Cleveland youth

• Economic Empowerment: Providing entrepreneurial solutions and support to help launch, grow and sustain thriving businesses

• Workforce Development: Reaching hundreds of individuals annually through targeted workforce development training

• Equity Institute: Undergirded by social justice and civil rights

TOP EXECUTIVE:

Marsha A. Mockabee, President and CEO

YEAR FOUNDED: 1917

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS: 18

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A Star-Spangled Celebration: Honoring Chamber Volunteers

NOACC HONORS VOLUNTEERS AND LOCAL CHAMBER LEADERS AS IT CELEBRATES THE 16TH ANNUAL BRIGHT STAR AWARDS EVENT.

Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy; you vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in. By giving time and expertise, volunteers at a chamber of commerce not only enrich the local community but also drive meaningful business growth, fostering a vibrant, thriving economy.

To the incredible volunteers of the chambers of commerce everywhere, your unwavering dedication and tireless efforts do not go unnoticed. Day in and day out, you bring your passion and commitment to every task, making a profound difference in our community. Your sacrifices — often made quietly and without fanfare — are the reason we all achieve greatness together.

Through your hard work, you help local businesses thrive, foster connections and build stronger, more dynamic communities. We are deeply grateful for your selfless contributions and the positive impact you continue to make. Thank you for being the driving force behind our success. Your efforts are truly inspiring and immensely appreciated.

Sincerely,

Cindy Holzheimer, IOM, CAE NOACC President/CEO

An Evening with the Stars

The 16th Annual NOACC Chamber Bright Star Awards Program was held on Oct. 10 at the internationally known MAPS Air Museum in North Canton, Ohio. Chamber volunteers from over 40 chambers were recognized as well as military service members from all branches of service in a red, white and blue spectacular. Missy McWhorter, executive director of the Fairlawn Area Chamber of Commerce and NOACC board chair, says, “The Annual Bright Star Awards recognizes volunteers from chambers throughout Northern Ohio who have shown dedication to their respective chambers. These individuals are passionate about the mission of their chamber and enthusiastically promote as well as inspire by spreading the word about the organization’s work in our communities. This grassroots advocacy by the volunteers can significantly increase the chamber’s visibility and attract more support from the community. Volunteers often bring a wide range of skills and experiences that can enhance an organization’s work by offering professional expertise to unique perspectives that often lead to innovation and improved outcomes for their chambers. Volunteers are the backbone of many organizations and an invaluable resource for nonprofit groups and deserve to be recognized.”

NOACC, established in 1995, is an association of over 139 chambers from northern Ohio. NOACC is dedicated to elevating chambers and chamber professionals through dynamic resources and cost-saving solutions for chamber-member businesses. Visit noacc.org for more information.

Member Spotlights

MEET LOCAL CHAMBER MEMBERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

Georgia Awig

Mary Kay

CHAMBER: North Ridgeville Chamber of Commerce

Georgia is a vital member of our community. She is a member of our North Ridgeville Chamber of Commerce board of directors and is a member of North Ridgeville City Council, to name a few of her contributions. Most importantly, she is a champion and true advocate for our businesses.

Nan Baker

C.N. Baker

CHAMBER: West Shore Chamber of Commerce (WSCC)

Nan is a born leader. She has served as president of the West Shore Chamber and was instrumental in establishing the WSCC education committee and the WSCC education foundation.

Travis Bales

Colonial Life

CHAMBER: North Coast Chamber of Commerce

Active Chamber member? Check. Eager to make connections? Check. Willing to help at every event? Check. Membership Committee? Check. Travis is the real deal.

Jason Ball

Tony’s

CHAMBER: Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce

Jason truly went all in as a member of the board of directors. He attended events, volunteered and stepped up to a leadership position. He continues to be a huge supporter of the Ottawa Area Chamber.

Rebecca Bennett

Maumee Bay Brewing Company

CHAMBER: Eastern Maumee Bay Chamber of Commerce

Rebecca is the ultimate hypewoman. Maumee Bay Brewing Company is a new chamber member in 2024 and has been fully immersed in chamber engagement and community support since joining. Rebecca has been instrumental in bringing a variety of new events to life and is always willing to lend a helping hand.

Ken Boustead

The Laker Ruritans

CHAMBER: Pymatuning Area Chamber of Commerce

Ken is a member of the board and the Laker Ruritans. He is a huge asset not just to the chamber but also to the community. He is always there to lend a helping hand for our community, and he always does it with a smile and a giving soul.

Michael Brewer

Northwestern Mutual

CHAMBER: Euclid Chamber of Commerce

Michael has been an exemplary chamber and board member. He regularly attends events, he always engages members and has recruited new members. He offers welcome advice and encouragement to all.

Robert Brill

Cox Business

CHAMBER: Parma Area Chamber of Commerce

Robert deserves to be a Chamber of Commerce Bright Star for his visionary leadership, consistent support of small businesses and active role in driving community initiatives that strengthen the local economy and foster business growth, making him an invaluable asset to the community.

Janice Cackowski

Centry Financial Advisors LLC

CHAMBER: Willoughby Western Lake County Chamber of Commerce (WWLCC)

Janice has spearheaded our Chamber Cares initiative that provides the opportunity for WWLCC and members to give back to our community throughout the year.

Shelley Chornak & Carla Washko

Sage Partners LLC

CHAMBER: Middleburg Heights Chamber of Commerce

The Middleburg Heights Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize Shelley and Carla for their consistent, dependable and amazing volunteer service at over five events this year (and counting), without which we could not have been properly staffed or successful in those events. They answer the call when needed and commit their time on the weekends to help the chamber succeed.

Sally Crist

RE/MAX Above & Beyond

CHAMBER: Brecksville Chamber of Commerce

Sally is an ardent supporter of our small business community, and she and her company, RE/MAX Above and Beyond, go above and beyond by allowing us to use their offices for our monthly chamber board meetings.

David E. Culbertson

David E. Culbertson, Attorney at Law

CHAMBER: Kenmore Chamber of Commerce

David is always there when you need him, whether with advice (legal or otherwise), or to volunteer. He makes sure the Kenmore Clock is always running on time.

Lina Duraj

JJ’s Pizza & Catering

CHAMBER: Fairview Park Chamber of Commerce

Lina Duraj, founder of JJ’s Pizza and community leader in Fairview Park, is always the first to step forward when the chamber or a member of our community needs help.

Adah Ellerbrock

Schrader Realty

CHAMBER: Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce

Adah has a passion for making a positive impact on everyone she meets and is very business and community minded. She is a proud member of Lima Rotary, West Central Association of REALTORS and the Ohio and National Association of REALTORS. She serves as an ambassador for the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce and a visitor host for the BNI New Vision Chapter.

Dick Griffin

US Network

CHAMBER: Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce

Dick’s dedication to the chamber is incredible. He encourages others to join the chamber every chance he gets. He is a valuable asset to our board of directors and our chamber.

Justin Hamlin

HFS Wealth Advisors

CHAMBER: Richfield Chamber of Commerce

Justin has done an exemplary job as our chamber treasurer for five years and has also played a crucial role in our annual Links for Education Golf Outing fundraiser.

2024 Member Spotlights

Joni Hasselbach

Pottery Perfection & Joni’s Boutique CHAMBER: Chamber of Commerce of Sandusky County

Joni consistently goes above and beyond as a chamber ambassador. Her positive attitude and enthusiasm make her an invaluable asset to any chamber event or meeting she attends.

Madison Hayes

The Village of St. Edward at Green CHAMBER: Green Area Chamber of Commerce

Finishing her presidency, Madison continued to be very involved in most aspects of chamber operations, attending events and planning for the future, in between getting married.

David Hertz

Oberlin College & Conservatory

CHAMBER: Oberlin Business Partnership (OBP)

David Hertz has been uniting the town and community through Oberlin Community Connections and supporting OBP as our largest stakeholder.

Dave Johnson

Mapledale Farm Landscape Supplies

CHAMBER: Chardon Area Chamber of Commerce

Dave shows up to everything, gives his all and selflessly supports the Chardon Area Chamber through his work with many organizations.

Donna Kopina

Chamber Volunteer

CHAMBER: Rocky River Chamber of Commerce

Donna was a long-time employee of the Rocky River Chamber of Commerce. Since her retirement, she has been active with the chamber and consistently attends events, volunteers and donates to our organization. Recently, during a staffing shortage, Donna dropped everything to help the chamber during its transition period. She is beloved by all in our membership and our community.

Katie Kreps

WellSpring Home Health & Hospice

CHAMBER: Lorain County Chamber of Commerce

Katie is a long-time member and board member. She is first to volunteer and actively works to get new members to join and to involve them in activities.

Kevin Lambes

Weathervane Playhouse, Akron

CHAMBER: Fairlawn Area Chamber of Commerce

Kevin is extremely talented and has gone above and beyond since he has been a board member. He is a great communicator and teammate and is always willing to help where needed.

Julie Lehto

JL Money Matters

CHAMBER: Nordonia Hills Chamber of Commerce

Julie’s exceptional dedication and support keeps the chamber finances on track. She consistently steps up at events and continuously contributes to our community, always going beyond what’s expected.

Kimberly Lewis

St. Johns Villa

CHAMBER: Carroll County Chamber of Commerce

Kim is the glue of our dual chamber/CVB office. We recently experienced some staffing shortages, and despite her own health battles, Kim has continued to show up and support our office of one time and time again. Her knowledge has been a great benefit to our members.

John Marquart

Mayfield Village

CHAMBER: Mayfield Area Chamber of Commerce

John has been exceptional in his role as secretary of the board of directors and chair of the membership committee. His impeccable minutes keep our board on task and organized. As chair of the membership committee, he consistently seeks improved methods to maintain a steady stream of new members and cater to our longstanding members. Most importantly, he is a great person.

Nathan Meadows

Grinders Above & Beyond

CHAMBER: Minerva Area

Chamber of Commerce

Nathan has been a Roxy Theatre volunteer for 12 years, directing community theater productions, building sets, fundraising and assisting with renovation tasks, including moving items into storage, demolition, painting and cleaning.

Steve Meka

STEM Handmade Soap

CHAMBER: Lakewood Chamber of Commerce

Steve leads our education task force, which is responsible for planning and implementing our small business education series — panel discussions featuring diverse, leading-edge topics pertaining to small businesses.

2024 Member Spotlights

Stephanie Montgomery

University Hospitals Portage Medical Center

CHAMBER: Kent Area Chamber of Commerce

Stephanie is an amazing board member who participates in programs the chamber hosts, supports initiatives and actively engages members of the community to enhance the chamber’s impact.

Dave Norris

StandOut Graphic Design & Marketing

CHAMBER: Louisville Area Chamber of Commerce

Dave’s expertise in marketing and his dedication and commitment to our chamber and community make him our Bright Star. His ideas and enthusiasm are truly appreciated.

Stacie Riffert

Empowered Leadership

CHAMBER: Aurora Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau

Stacie is a dedicated and dynamic member of the Aurora Chamber. Her energy is endless. She truly is what makes us great.

Dana Schauer

Will-Burt

CHAMBER: Orrville Area Chamber of Commerce

Dana is an actively engaged board member who participates in many of the chamber events and activities. She also volunteers for our events and is always willing to help out when called upon. She is an advocate for all we do.

CONGRATULATIONS

2024 Member Spotlights

Erin Schlarb

Hemlock Strategy + Design

CHAMBER: Copley Community Chamber of Commerce

Erin dedicated countless hours to creating a website for the Copley Chamber that effectively delivers our business and community message, helping us reach and engage a broader audience.

Joshua Strickland

Dworken & Bernstein

CHAMBER: Eastern Lake County Chamber of Commerce

Josh has served multiple terms on the board, including as board president. He has also supported a number of programs and events as

Barb Taylor

The Pub CHAMBER: Greater Ashtabula Chamber of Commerce

Barb has been a dedicated and relentless volunteer for our golf outing. Her generosity with her time, expertise and resources is unmatched and is a major reason for the golf outing’s success.

Cynthia Toth

Cynthia Toth REALTOR - Coldwell

Banker Schmidt Realty

CHAMBER: Streetsboro Chamber of Commerce

As a new board member (and even being a non-golfer), Cindy fearlessly promoted the golf outing, attracting new participants, sponsors and donors, refreshing the entire team and

Jackie Vasko

Grand Valley Public Library

CHAMBER: Grand Valley Area Chamber of Commerce

Jackie is co-director at the library and oversees the children’s programs. She is on the Village parks and recreation board and was instrumental in organizing the Christmas Festival and Parade.

Amia Wheatley

Beachwood Public Library

CHAMBER: Beachwood Chamber of Commerce

Amia is very active in the Beachwood Chamber and serves as event team lead for the B2B Expo. She is also helpful with the chamber’s Women’s Coffee Hour.

Nathan Wright

Mar-Lou Shoes

CHAMBER: Heights-Hillcrest Regional Chamber of Commerce (HRCC)

Nathan is an enthusiastic supporter of HRCC, always showing up to our many events and representing us in the community. This year, Nathan stepped up as secretary of the board.

Long before Katie Kreps joined the Lorain County Chamber board, she has been a long time Chamber member, who attends nearly every event. Katie is always present for our big events like our EXPO, Golf Outing and Economic Summit, but also ribbon cuttings, ground breakings and all things positive going on in Lorain County. And she is always on the lookout for new members to join. Her addition to the board of directors has solidified her as a Bright Star!

The Southern Ohio Chamber Alliance (SOCA) has teamed up with Anthem to offer a self-funded solution for small employers and sole proprietors.1 The SOCA Benefit Plan is a multiple employer welfare arrangement (MEWA) that lets small employers and sole proprietors join together to share in the overall claims risk. By being part of a large, self-funded pool, they receive financial protection backed by Anthem’s stop loss coverage.

In addition to financial protection, employers receive:

� Competitive rates.

� Fixed, predictable monthly payments.

� A variety of plan designs.

� Anthem’s broad Blue Access PPO provider network and Essential Rx drug list.

� Coverage for claims run-out/terminal liability coverage.

� Expanded wellness offerings.

� Exclusive rates and plan options including vision, life, disability and more.2

Cozy Up

There’s the crackling fire and comfy blanket side of a Northeast Ohio winter — and the steps you should take to achieve a healthy, safe home. Here’s how to winterize, from the pros.

BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

Baby, it’s cold outside. The house is drafty, too. What gives? Icejammed gutters, window leaks, an always-running furnace and frozen pipes are typical outcomes of overlooking basic winterization steps. Not to mention, when we close up our homes in hopes of battling all things Northeast Ohio during the cold season, indoor air grows stale. If the notion of a never-ending to-do list of home projects makes you want to burrow under the covers, chill. Our experts walk you through key areas of your home to assess before winter and share a set of to-do lists.

CLEAR THE AIR

Take a deep breath, now exhale. And think about this: The air in your home is two to five times dirtier than outdoors and in some cases more than 100 times nastier (U.S. EPA). Pet dander, dust, mold spores, bacteria, skin particles, germs — not a pretty picture.

“Air quality dips in the winter because it gets cold, we shutter our homes and we don’t leave the door open while walking out on the porch for five minutes, or crack a kitchen window while cooking,” says Sean Nagle, general manager of Bay Heating & Air Conditioning. “We are trapping everything into the house.”

That includes your own “used air” in the form of carbon dioxide.

All homes should have a carbon monoxide sensor, ideally near a master bedroom so you hear the alert should it sound at night. But CO2 warrants the industry buzz it’s getting these days, Nagle says.

The inevitable factor driving CO2 risk (breathe in, readers) is breathing out.

“We are constantly making CO2 every day of our lives, and we close our-

selves in during winter,” Nagle says.

A CO2 imbalance in the home causes lethargy — that dragging feeling that is easily written off as lack of Vitamin D or sheer exhaustion from life. “If you spend a lot of time inside your home or work in a small office, you’re probably breathing air that is high in CO2, and while it won’t hurt you unless the levels are extremely high, it can definitely make you tired,” Nagle says.

The latest thermostats have built-in indoor air quality sensors that can indicate the reason for the alert, such as higher levels of CO2. (Go open a window.)

Or, go for whole house ventilation systems that pull filtered fresh air into the house. For an upgrade, consider a whole home energy recovery ventilator that also pushes out stale air.

Can you just crack the windows for general ventilation? Sure.

“But who wants to do that when the windchill is 20 degrees below zero?” Nagle quips, quickly adding this is a better alternative to doing nothing at all. “With a solution like whole home ventilation, you never have to think about fresh air.”

TO-DOS

Ensure true ventilation

Monitor CO and CO2

Humidify the air

On the allergy front, UV lights to kill bacteria, viruses and mold spores inside HVAC equipment have been around for a while, says Brian Stack, president at Stack Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric. Now we also have air ionizers that generate negative ions that create a static charge around airborne contaminants that float through the home. The static causes dust, allergens and other yuck to adhere. “So, when they go back into the HVAC system, they stick to the filter,” Stack explains.

A whole house humidifier also enhances air quality by maintaining a prime humidity level of 35% to 60%. Bacteria and viruses form at levels lower than 35% and mold spores grow when air is in the 60%-plus range.

SYSTEM CHECK

Related to indoor air quality, routine HVAC system maintenance preserves the equipment, improves efficiency that ratchets down utility bills — and provides comfort.

If your HVAC system has a 1-inch filter, change it at least every month. High-efficiency 4- to 5-inch filters can be changed biannually, says Stack and Nagle. Get an HVAC system tuneup at least annually, and ideally twice per year.

“Having a pro come out to see how equipment is operating and how the [furnace] flame is burning can extend the life of your equipment, especially when we catch problems early, which happens a lot,” Nagle says.

Signs that an HVAC system is flaming out include “short cycling,” when the heat is turning off and on in accelerated cycles, an indication that a furnace could be overheating. Poor airflow is a biggie. Also, listen for humming.

TO-DOS

Change filters according to recommendations

Get a tune-up

Listen and feel for leaks and energy sucks

GLASSY MOVES

“Windows and doors are essentially holes in your house, and you need to be sure they are properly sealed and protected,” says Brian Rutherford, regional manager of the Cleveland division, Gunton Corp./Pella Windows & Doors.

The ultimate test: light a match (or ignite a lighter), hold it in front of a window on a breezy day and trace its

ON THE HIGH END

“Look up,” says Chris Kamis, president and CEO, Absolute Roofing and Construction. Do you spot missing shingles?

“A lot of times, high winds can damage flashings on chimneys and pipes and you’ll see it ‘stick up,’” he says. Not to mention, snow melt can roll into gutters clogged with leaves and refreeze due to the cold metal.

“Snow melt can back up under shingles and go right into the house,” says Kamis, describing calls he receives throughout winter when customers tell his team, “My roof is leaking like a faucet turned on.”

Another complaint: water pouring in from windows. The roof is the source. “If caulk is broken, water runoff can cause significant damage to the interior of the home that is completely preventable,” Kamis says.

For gutters, wait until late November

perimeter. If the flame dances, you’ve got a leak.

What’s the culprit?

Could be a number of issues, Rutherford says. The elements can break down weather stripping and cause air leakage. Caulking that seals the window frame to the exterior can erode. Here’s a surprise: leaving windows unlocked poses risks beyond security.

Rutherford explains. “Locks serve multiple purposes,” he says. “When windows are not locked, they are not completely closed and drafts can come through. If you haven’t locked them for a long time, you could get some expansion and contraction, in which case it can become impossible to lock them,

so you’ll need repairs or replacements.”

Also, be sure doors are level and square, meaning sight lines between the door and frame are even, otherwise you’re allowing air to come on in.

While you’re in inspector mode, tour the perimeter of your home and examine caulking around “protruding objects” such as venting, says Greg Myers, owner of Exteriors Plus. “The difference between summer rains and winter snowmelt is the snow sits and thaws and it will find a way in if the ability is there, while rain ‘shuts off.’”

Basically, snow melt does not ‘shut off,’ and neither does leakage.

Check caulking

Lock up

Square the doors

TO-DOS

Check for missing/damaged shingles and flashing

Clean gutters in late November to early December Note soil-covered downspouts

to early December to clean them out, Kamis recommends.

Look down, too. “Make sure downspouts are not overflowing,” Kamis says. “You can tell if you have dirt over their fronts that the water is falling over the spout and rippling down.” Again, this is a sign that the gutters and what’s inside them need attention, stat.

PIPE DOWN

Extended periods of sub-zero temperatures can freeze pipes, especially those housed in cabinetry along outside walls or in an attic. The byproducts can be minor like fluctuating water pressure or significant when burst pipes cause flooding and resulting high utility bills — a double whammy. Avoid potential structural damage by opening cabinets to allow warm house air to circulate around pipes, Stack says. “It might be advisable to allow the faucets to trickle to keep water circulating, and if you are going out of town, consider shutting off the water,” he says.

Open

Turn off water main if traveling during winter

• Preventative Maintenance Agreements

• NATE

• Natural

• Air Conditioners

•

•

•

•

•

• Wi-Fi Thermostats

•

HOME &

GARDEN

REN O V A T I ONS

LOWER-LEVEL MATURATION

PARENTS FINISHING BASEMENTS as rec rooms generally are guided by one principle: Make them as indestructible as possible. Sean Carter’s client wasn’t one of them. As a single father whose only child was headed to college, the man was focused on turning the lower level of his 1939 Rocky River Tudor into a place where he could entertain his friends in comfort and style. Carter, an interior designer at Sapphire Pear in Rocky River, was charged with transforming the space into a series of clean-lined venues decorated in the neutral palette his client had chosen for the rest of the house, yet distinguished by an eclectic mix of colorful art and accessories. “The client … wanted a blend of lots of different styles, from modern to Scandinavian to Moroccan to very classic,” he says.

Carter’s first nod to the house’s existing decor was flooring the lower level in the same white oak. He then added picture-frame molding to the just-installed drywall and painted the rooms Sherwin-Williams White Heron.

One of the few remaining architectural amenities was a corner of stainedoak bookcases. Carter made them the focal point of a handsome library lounge by extending them to the ceiling with picture-frame panels and trim, painting them Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn, and papering the backs in a metallic-gold chevron print. The colors are repeated in the chandelier, a spidery arrangement of adjustable-length pendants.

Seating is provided by a charcoal leather-cushioned window seat, complete with charcoal velvet channeled back, that Carter added over the builtins and a pair of cognac velvet swivel chairs stationed atop a cream and charcoal patterned rug. The Ruggablebrand machine-washable selection was a rare concession to durability.

“The homeowner has three dogs,” Carter explains. “They have lots of accidents.”

To achieve a sense of cohesiveness, Carter used the same rug in the adjoining bar, where two camel boucle club chairs face a gray boucle bench-style sofa in front of a fireplace. The client had the Dark Emperador marble fireplace surround custom-made in Italy.

Contractors installed the actual wet bar in a 5-foot-deep alcove created from unused space in a neighboring utility room. The quartzite-topped walnut cabinetry houses an ice machine and pullout trash receptacle behind brass-inlaid doors as well as two beverage coolers. A counter-to-ceiling

backsplash of handmade turquoise tile adds a punch of color. But Carter sees the waterjet mosaic tile laid on the alcove floor as the true eye-catcher. He explains that the manufacturer, Artistic Tile, used a waterjet to cut black and white marble into geometric shapes, then assembled them into patterns.

“It was the perfect project to use it,” he says.

Three steps lead from the library lounge to the theater room. Carter hung light-gray linen-look draperies lined in black over the walls to conceal upper windows while leaving them accessible. Walnut columns were added to break up the curtained lengths and provide a place to hang torch-like frosted-glass wall sconces. An art hanger and custom framer suspended black-woodframed originals and reproductions from the ceiling with fishing wire.

A charcoal mohair sectional and two cube-like Arabescato marble coffee tables replaced the usual theater seats in front of the 55-inch Samsung TV to double the room’s function.

“Sometimes it’s just a spot where everyone hangs out and puts their cocktails on the coffee tables,” he says. “Sometimes they play cards. Sometimes they just chat.”

SCOTT PEASE

White-oak flooring in the lower level matches that in the rest of the home. Painted bookcases create a dark, classy contrast in the library lounge.

Distinctive Homes

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Completely and thoughtfully redone. All 3000 sq. ft. (plus the 1000 finished sq. ft. walk-out) are literally brand new. The formal living and dining spaces are perfect for grand entertaining. Exquisite new kitchen open to the family room with a fireplace. Sliders lead to an upper deck overlooking the heavily wooded yard backing to over 6 acres of common area

NORTH ROYALTON

Stunning colonial on a quiet low traffic street. Over 2500 sq. ft. PLUS an additional 1600 sq. ft. in its finished walk-out lower level. Quality built. Meticulously maintained. 4 bedrooms/2.5 baths. Many recent updates. Twostory great room with a gas fireplace. Open floor plan. Expansive multi-level deck. Serene private GORGEOUS one acre retreat. BRECKSVILLE | $650K

WESTLAKE | $565K

One floor living and so much more. This hard-to-find spacious Westlake ranch offers an elegant formal living room that flows seamlessly into the formal dining. Neutral and bright. Loads of natural light throughout. Light woodwork. The master offers a private bath and extra-large walk-in. 2 additional bedrooms and remodeled bath.

High end finishes throughout. Fabulous master with deep walk-in. Three additional bedrooms on 2nd plus a guest room/teen suite in the finished lower level. Newer mechanicals. Close to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Brecksville Metro Parks, Brecksville community center, new swim park and library. Outstanding City services. Top rated schools

REG | LOU

(440)

Meticulous

THE THIRD TIME was the charm for Ralph Perk in 1971.

The veteran politician — he’d served 10 years on Cleveland City Council before getting elected county auditor in 1962, the first Republican elected to county office in a generation — was elected mayor in a four-way race that year, defeating Democrat James Carney, Socialist Labor Joseph Pirincin and independent Arnold Pinkney after Mayor Carl Stokes opted not to run for a third term in office.

On the morning of Nov. 8, six days after his election, Perk resigned as county auditor. At 10:30 a.m. that day, he was sworn in as the city’s 52nd mayor by U.S. District Judge James Connell. Perk was thronged with security (someone tried to firebomb his East 49th Street home on Halloween) and inundated with well-wishers, including councilman Dennis Kucinich, who’d led Democrats for Perk during the campaign season, and U.S. Sen. Robert Taft,

extending best wishes from President Richard Nixon.

Later that afternoon, Perk climbed 14 feet up a ladder to aid in restoration efforts at the Allen Theatre, which had formally closed as a movie theater three years earlier but would host the Budapest Symphony Orchestra later that month.

Perk grabbed a paintbrush and went to work on the theater’s marquee, saying he wanted it to serve as a symbol for Downtown’s revitalization. The Allen Theatre’s day would come as part of Playhouse Square, but it would take a while.

“Don’t drip the paint,” his wife, Lucille, told him. Instead, he dipped his overcoat sleeve into the white paint. Fortunately, Herbert Diamond of Diamond’s Men’s Stores was on hand to clean the coat.

Perk went on to serve three two-year terms as mayor, presiding over a tumultuous era in Cleveland history, before losing to former ally Kucinich in 1977.