6 SENSATIONAL STANDOUTS Meet the Distinguished Young Women of Avon
9 GOOD GROWTH Hays Family Farm Practices Regenerative Ag for the Health of the Land - and Our Lives
14 RESOLUTE FOR 2025 A New Year’s Resolution Guide
15 RUFF DAY
Dogtona Returns to the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds in Support of the Humane Society
19 QUARTER CENTURY OF SERVICE
Tom Downard Celebrates 25 Years at the Avon Chamber
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SENSATIONAL STANDOUTS
MEET THE DISTINGUISHED YOUNG WOMEN OF AVON
Writer / Melissa Gibson
They stand out in the crowd.
The Distinguished Young Women (DYW) of Avon are high school seniors who are smart, talented, volunteer in their community and so much more.
“These are the girls that check all of the boxes,” said new Executive Director Daphne Larson. “They are juggling many things in their high school career and they want more.”
Distinguished Young Women is a national program launched in 1958, and boasts an alumni list that includes journalist Diane Sawyer, actress Debra Messing and aerospace engineer Marlo Graves. They’ve awarded more than $112 million in cash scholarships and more than 800,000 high school women have participated across the country.
The DYW of Avon was created in 1980 and more than 700 women have participated in the local program.
It was formed to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of young women, and to use their leadership skills and talents to earn scholarships for secondary education.
Previously known as America’s Junior Miss, their name changed to DYW in 2010 in an effort to separate themselves from stereotypical beauty pageants. These ladies are athletes, musicians, involved in the arts and clubs, and working hard toward academic achievement. Although they are beautiful inside and out, the program has nothing to do with outward appearance.
It begins with a call-out meeting in late February, and DYW of Avon volunteers reach out to guidance counselors, teachers, sponsors and others in the community to spread the word. If a young lady is interested, she is invited.
“I don’t ever say they have to have this, this and this,” Larson said. “You never know what you’ll trigger in a young woman. It’s so much
more than a beauty pageant. The program gives the women a platform to showcase their talents.”
A dozen ladies participate each year in the final showcase event.
There is an interview with judges, a public speaking portion on stage, a 90-second talent portion, a physical fitness routine, and choreographed opening and closing numbers.
“The academic portion is the largest in the point system,” Larson said. “They’ll interview with the judges the morning of, and then the self-expression portion on stage really looks at how they present themselves. They are able to showcase their talent, and that’s anything from dancing to singing to solving a Rubik’s Cube.”
The judging is 25% scholastics or academics, 25% interview, 15% self-expression, 20% talent and 15% fitness.
Community Service-Mary Lee Maier Food Pantry
Some aspects of the program might sound like the stereotypical competition. However, the details of the program go a lot deeper than that. The women spend the better part of the year learning, improving and giving back to the Avon community.
“Throughout the summer we do life-skill workshops and we’re looking to add more,” Larson said. “I want the girls to have tools in their tool belt, so they working on public speaking skills and being your best self.”
They also host Camp Be Your Best Self each year, inviting kindergarten through eighthgrade girls to participate in a day-long event with the focus on being healthy, involved, studious, ambitious and responsible.
Participants engage in crafts and physical activities, and they learn a choreographed dance to perform at the showcase event. The DYW of Avon ladies want to encourage young girls to resist negative peer pressure, set goals and strive to reach them, all while connecting to mentors and other young women who want the best for them.
“The camp is a way for the current young ladies to encourage and support young people,” Larson said. “In Avon we’re unique because we’ve also created a Little Sister program to invite the junior-high ladies to participate.”
It’s a tradition for many. It’s not uncommon for women who participated at some point in their lives to have come back to volunteer and support the organization. Three of the original 1980 program participants are current committee members today. They know how powerful the program can be for the young women.
DYW of Avon often hosts carwashes to fundraise for the scholarship portion of the program, and volunteers at various community events throughout the year such as the Hendricks County Rib-Fest.
“Regardless of what they do outside, we want them to remember their community and how being a participant in DYW of Avon helped them impact the world around them,” Larson said. “This ends up going much further than Avon alone.”
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The week prior to the final showcase event brings all the young women together to rehearse.
“It’s really magical,” Larson said. “The girls are athletes, involved in the arts, have strong academic standards, and you might think they don’t have anything in common, but by the end of the week they are each other’s cheerleaders.”
In August of 2024 they awarded their 45th Avon participant, Calleigh Neal.
The program costs nothing to enter, but women have a chance to win 13 scholarships, totaling $15,000. It’s truly an untapped
opportunity for many young women according to Larson. More than 50 colleges across the country award scholarships simply for participating in the program.
“We award the second-highest amount in scholarship dollars in the state of Indiana,” Larson said. “Our top-three winners receive $4,500, $2,500 and $1,500, and every participant gets a textbook scholarship provided by the Sinclair Foundation.”
Whether they are looking for unique and challenging ways to earn scholarships, hope to improve their public speaking skills, or simply enjoy the social aspect of meeting other successful young women in their community, at DYW of Avon, every participant walks away a winner.
“Year after year girls say, ‘It was the best part of my high school experience,’ and they leave feeling empowered to enter the adult world with self-confidence,” Larson said. “Some of these girls have never stepped on a stage
and now they’re introducing each other and answering live questions in front of an audience. We’re thrilled to help them obtain the tools to do that.”
Interested high school students can register at distinguishedyw.org, or reach out to dywofavon@gmail.com for more information.
GOOD GROWTH
HAYS FAMILY FARM PRACTICES REGENERATIVE AG FOR THE HEALTH OF THE LAND - AND OUR LIVES
Writer & Photographer / Ryan Gabbert
If you asked average Americans where their food comes from, the majority would likely just say the grocery store. Meat comes neatly packaged in cellophane, and vegetables are frozen and ready to be microwaved. The world today is far removed from the means of food production, where the customer at the end of the chain knows nothing of the process or consequences of what they consume.
Most people have turned a blind eye to this, unwilling or unable to comprehend their diet’s impact on the rest of the world. Even those who want to consume their food responsibly find it’s not always easy to break free of the cycle.
Hays Family Farm in Bainbridge, Indiana, serves as a ray of hope in a world overrun with monoculture farming and industrial meat production.
They practice regenerative farming, a method dedicated to improving soil health, biodiversity and sustainable land use. The
Jenny, and their children and grandchildren.
“Conventional farming has become a sea of monoculture crops and killing anything standing in the way of maximum production,” John Hays says. “Regenerative agriculture is about fostering life in every way you can imagine, both in the soil and above the soil. That changes the way you see things. Now we can see so many exciting opportunities for the future of agriculture and life overall on this planet. People have such an amazing opportunity to positively affect society and the ecosystem, which is very motivating.”
Hays did not start out in regenerative farming, however. He began in commercial agriculture, seeing firsthand the damage it can do to the land and the animals that feed us.
“I have been farming for 40 years and have been involved in many different types of operations from extensive home gardening, commercial pig production, row crop farming and commercial hay production, to now regenerative farming, raising grass-fed/grassfinished beef, pastured pork, pastured chicken and pastured eggs,” he says.
Hays’ experiences in the commercial
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farm is a family effort, run by John Hays, his wife,
agriculture industry gave him a wealth of knowledge to draw upon, but he knew there had to be a better way to do it.
“At a very young age, my first influences were my mother, grandpa and uncle,” he says. “Although regenerative agriculture was not even a term back then, they instilled the importance of taking care of the soil, and that has always been a concern for me. Much later in life I read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and became aware of the regenerative movement, and began looking deeply into what was going on there. I also quickly became aware of what Gabe Brown was doing, and since then Understanding Ag has been a huge influence on me. My biggest influence of all to starting managing in a regenerative way was my observations over the years that what I was doing was in fact not helping the soil. It was taking it backward. I began searching for answers and they began exposing themselves the more I searched.”
The mission of Hays Family Farm has always been health: health for the soil, health for the crops and animals that nourish us, and health for the consumer.
“Hays Family Farm’s vision is to regenerate health from the ground up, and our mission is to help you eat healthy,” Hays says. “We started Hays Family Farm to offer our community a local source of healthy foods while having a positive effect on the ecosystem we are part of and responsible for stewarding.”
Hays Family Farm proudly offers a wide variety of all-natural, 100% grass-fed/grassfinished beef for sale. They also sell pastureraised pork, chicken, eggs, and even all-natural honey. If that isn’t enough, they even deliver
their products around the greater Indianapolis area.
With the farm’s competitive prices, there’s never been a better time to consume responsibly. While the savings are great for any budget, the real benefactor is the customer’s health.
“There is lots of exciting data becoming available about the nutrient density of foods raised under regenerative practices,” Hays says. “We are seeing research data being put together under the leadership of Dr. Stephan Van Vliet at Utah State University that shows meats raised under truly regenerative systems are much more nutrient dense, and contain many times more phytonutrients than conventionally raised meats. Eating these healthier foods will have a very positive effect on our personal health. Regenerative farming can improve not only the health of our soils, but the health of our lives.”
With the coming of the new year, the Hays
family will take over management of an additional 150 acres of land and continue to expand their regenerative operations. In addition to the actual farm work, the Hays family also seeks to educate the community on the benefits and methods of regenerative farming. They offer various classes and seminars throughout the year for anyone who wants to learn more.
If you would like more information about Hays Family Farm, visit their website at haysfamilyfarm.net, follow them on social media, or stop by the farm for some fresh meat.
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A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION GUIDE
Writer / Devon Dean
“I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me.”
-The Mountain Goats, “This Year”
2024 is in the history books, and we’re now collectively bundled up and ready to tackle 2025. Each time the ball drops in Times Square and people uncork the Korbel, it’s a chance to reset the balance and state some good intentions for the next 365 days.
A recent study by the American Psychiatric Association showed some 76% of adults in the U.S. will make resolutions this year, and more than a quarter of these (28%) are focused on mental health, with many of us setting our sights on improving wellness through both mental and physical/ habit changes:
Dr. Anne Mary Montero is a licensed clinical psychologist and director of behavioral health at IU Health North. She says change can be elusive, particularly when it comes to lifestyle.
“Certainly, there are excellent mental health benefits to setting and achieving goals for change toward wellness, but it is helpful to anchor goals in a few ways to maximize both the psychological benefits, and to minimize risk, including if we don’t achieve everything we set out to do,” she says. “Psychological risks to goals that are unrealistic or too harsh can be demoralizing and even lead to anxiety or depression, but envisioning change, and being motivated to try, is the first step toward mental health support for yourself, helping you see the change you want to create with your resolution.”
GOAL-SETTING STRATEGIES
Keep goals anchored in values. What is most important to you will help you stay motivated when initial enthusiasm may wane, and the impact of achieving your goal will mean the most to you when you reach it.
Stay positive with a healthy balance of discipline and self-compassion; even the most driven people benefit from grace, and you can support yourself best if you stay in a positive frame of mind. In fact, studies of happiness show that we are not only in a better mood, but we are actually more productive and effective when we keep a positive outlook. Also, keep in mind that self-care is critical, particularly with winter in full swing.
Consider counting steps. A large goal can be less overwhelming if broken into components or sequential steps, even micro steps, toward change. While it’s healthy to dream, we want to set our sights on a balance of vision and achievability to keep positive success realistic and within our reach. Write goals and progress down. You will not only keep yourself accountable, which usually serves to help with motivation, but you can count steps toward progress that support and reinforce the excellent impact your efforts can have.
“Another critical strategy can be to ask for help,” Montero says. “Telling your plans to someone who cares about you and asking for a regular check-in about this can serve both as an accountability check and a built-in reminder.”
Montero’s final piece of advice is to use positive self-talk. She says reminding yourself of your power and emphasizing your progress can be especially powerful. “You are the
plan to exercise more.
plan to meditate.
plan to focus on spirituality.
plan to see a therapist.
plan to take a break from social media.
plan to journal.
plan to use a mental health app.
plan to try something else
ultimate authority on what you are feeling and how you expect to move forward,” she says. “You are aware of your efforts against all the forces that challenge you, and you can uniquely and authoritatively acknowledge the good you have done.”
RUFF DAY
DOGTONA RETURNS TO THE HENDRICKS COUNTY 4-H FAIRGROUNDS IN SUPPORT OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY
When Cameron Johnson visited a dog park in Indianapolis more than two decades ago, it sparked a passion that she never would have guessed would result in the popular Hendricks County event aimed at all things dogs - Dogtona.
Today it’s the Hendricks County Humane Society’s largest fundraiser, but back then it was simply a mission to bring a dog park to area.
“I thought we should have one in the county, and I wrote a letter to the editor at our local paper and asked people if they’d like to have a dog park, let’s meet up,” Johnson said. “About 15 people showed up to the first meeting and we decided we were going to do it.”
They put signs on their cars, sent mailings to Hendricks County residents and hosted a dog parade, to bring attention to the mission. They also came up with the idea of Spring Break at Dogtona, originally held in March at the National Guard Armory. They tied advertisements to dog biscuits and local banks
would hand them out as dog owners passed through the drive through.
“We had about 75 people and their dogs show up,” Johnson said. “Dick Wolfsie came and autographed his book about [his dog] Barney. The first event went really well.”
They only charge $5 per dog - it’s free for the dog’s human - and they’ve never raised their admission price in all these years.
“We wanted to create an inexpensive day for families to have with their dog and we’re hoping to break even,” Johnson said. “We never made thousands and thousands, but it was enough to work with officials to create the first dog park in the county at Washington Township Park.”
It took seven years, and Johnson was there when it officially opened.
“I saw people playing with their dogs,” she said. “For all the petitions and the research and the events and the work, it was worth it.
At the time, she was on the board at the Humane Society and the event fit perfectly into part of their mission: “Strengthening the bond between humans and their pets.”
They were willing to lend their name to the event and the nonprofit was immediately on board to help, financially and otherwise.
“Each year it just kept growing,” Johnson said. “We quickly outgrew the armory and moved the event to the fairgrounds. Even during the pandemic, we never missed a year.”
They dropped the “Spring Break” portion of the event title and moved it to January. They’ve weathered ice storms and below-zero temps, but continue to bring in hundreds of dogs each year. It’s an event like no other.
Imagine a variety of breeds playing together, competing and having a ton of fun in a day focused on them and time with their owners.
After Avon, others slowly began to come on board.”
A volunteer made an A-frame dog ramp, and they added games like Search and Re-shoe, hiding treats inside shoes for the dogs to find. They created the Great Lick-Off, a contest to see which dog can lick peanut butter off of a spoon the fastest.
Dogs and their owners can get a free family photo, and perhaps most popular is the dog show, with competitions like curliest tail, best kisser and more.
There’s even a Canine Café, offering food for human attendees.
Surrounding the dog play area and events are vendor booths, ranging from rescue centers to therapy dog groups. There are K9 demonstrations, CPR demonstrations, and during some years they’ve had a caricature artist on hand.
Over the years they’ve invited dancing dogs, pet massage therapists and an animal communicator to join them. It’s a different
experience each time, but guaranteed fun for the dogs and the people too.
“One year I walked past a father, son and his dog,” Johnson said. “They had a rolled-up piece of paper from the caricature artist and the dad said, ‘We have a memory here.’ I know of two sisters that live in different towns. They schedule their visit together around Dogtona so they can all get together. To hear the stories and the excited kids throughout the day, it’s just a fun way to give people more places to have fun with their pet.”
It’s also a place of connection. Johnson said dog organizations and nonprofits have been able to meet each other and work together toward their missions.
“I’ve worked with the Central Indiana K9 Association and the Transportation Safety Authority, and they do demonstrations and educate people on what they are doing for the community,” Johnson said. “To me, the event just means people love their animals and want
to spend time with them, so it’s a joy.”
Johnson said these days, many in the community have heard about the special event, but she still works with local veterinarians and pet food stores to spread the word.
“In the beginning we did a take on David Letterman’s Top 10 and made a list of reasons we needed a dog park,” she said. “The number-one reason was that a tired dog is a happy owner. We needed a place for people to get together that might not meet on the sports field or the kids’ event. It’s a community gathering spot and it makes me happy to see the dogs running and playing.”
There are dog parks in Plainfield, Avon and Brownsburg now. The Humane Society continues to earmark a portion of their budget for future dog parks, to support towns in other areas across the county.
Johnson is still serving as chairman of the
Dogtona committee, and has seen volunteers come and go over the past two decades. She loves the creativity newcomers bring to the event, and hopes that one day someone will be willing to take the reins.
“It’s fun to work with the committee and come up with new ideas and new games,” she said. “We’ve tried things that didn’t work so well, but we learn year after year how to make it better.”
So much has happened as a result of a community joining together for a special cause.
“I just had this idea in my head,” Johnson said. “If you want a change, you need to do something. It just takes one person with an idea to get things happening for so many reasons. The support we’ve received from so many businesses and the Hendricks County Fairgrounds that continues to make the event affordable is unmatched.”
Dogtona will return to the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds and Conference Complex on January 19. For more information, visit hendrickshumane.org/events.html.
QUARTER CENTURY OF SERVICE
TOM DOWNARD CELEBRATES
25 YEARS AT THE AVON CHAMBER
Writer / Melissa Gibson Photographer / Amy Payne
On January 1, 2025, Tom Downard celebrated 25 years in his current position as executive director of the Greater Avon Chamber of Commerce.
It’s not every day that a person who sees potential in a small, unincorporated town eventually comes to a position that allows him to support and promote businesses across Avon full time.
The Town of Avon is fairly young compared to surrounding towns. As of 2025 they have been incorporated for 30 years, and 30 years ago, a young businessman already had his eye on the developing area.
“My business partner and I were involved
in commercial real estate development,” Downard said. “We built the first gas station at Dan Jones and U.S. Highway 36, which is now the BP. We built our first retail center just west of there. A couple of years went by and the lot to the east of the gas station was still vacant, so we built that and put another retail center in there.”
His commercial real estate business was one of the first members of the Avon Chamber of Commerce, and while it’s safe to say Downard has always had a love for businesses, promotion and development, he couldn’t have anticipated how he’d soon become involved on a whole new level.
“Avon was really just starting to form when the chamber was started,” he said. “They began with an assistant that handled the day-to-day things on a part-time basis, and as Avon continued to grow, the chamber board approached me.”
They needed someone who lived in Avon, loved the town, and loved development to take the role of executive director, and they didn’t have to look far. He was interested, as long as he could serve as director and work in his real estate development company too. It was a match, and Downard has been watching the town and its businesses grow ever since.
“It sounds cliché but I’ve never felt like I had a job,” he said. “These are all the things I enjoy doing. I’m a people person. I enjoy promoting my community and our local businesses.”
Not many current residents can tell the story of how Avon began with the gas station on the corner, and continues as a bustling town full of retail, residents and entertainment.
Looking back on the past 25 years, Downard remembers a few of the big successes: Lowe’s coming to town, Walmart arriving next, and then Meijer.
In the early days it was clear to Downard that the town was ready to boom. As more people moved in and more retailers began scouting available land, he, along with other leaders at the time, knew what a gem they had.
“You could see the writing on the wall,” he said. “U.S. 36 was quickly becoming a retail corridor for the entire county.”
He said he recalls some “misses” when the town was incorporated. Some residents didn’t want to join Avon, choosing to remain in the township. The map was drawn and Avon lost large areas of Washington Township. Had they been included, many corporations and warehouse facilities sitting just outside
the town limits would have resulted in millions of dollars in tax revenue for the Town of Avon.
For the most part, however, good decisions were made, and Downard was there when new parks, trail systems and amenities came along and added to the quality of life for residents.
The chamber exists to assess the needs of local business owners, and to create programs, products and events to deliver strategic solutions for those needs. The members are constantly thinking of new ways to support businesses and advocate for a strong economy in Avon.
Twenty years ago the chamber staff came up with a little community event to promote local businesses and bring neighbors together. Today we know it as the Hendricks County Rib-Fest and BBQ.
“We started that on a whim and held
it at Washington Township Park, and brought in some of our local restaurants,” Downard said. “We were amazed to have the 600 to 800 people show up. Each year it’s continued to grow and we changed location to the Hendricks County Fairgrounds. It’s now a county event and we couldn’t be more pleased to take an event from zero to have it magnified to what it is today.”
Barbecue vendors come from multiple states and more than 12,000 people attend on average. It’s an all-day event with a 5K, craft fair, music, fireworks and, of course, delicious food.
What keeps Downard going isn’t always the large events or the booming retail corridor. Despite success, growth and continued development in the town he loves, perhaps he enjoys working with the small businesses most.
“In this position, you get to see small businesses grow and have success,” he said. “You meet the owners and work hand-in-hand with them to promote their business, and to be able to be here and watch that has been very gratifying.”
He’s thankful for those businesses, the town and township leadership, and the staff in the chamber office for their support and collaboration.
“We’re talking about me being here for 25 years, but the chamber has had a great board, some of which have been here from the beginning,” Downard said. “I’ve been very fortunate to work with a lot of great people. Without the assistant in my office at the front desk and volunteers,
I may not have been here for 25 years. Consistency is key, not only from my position, but from my assistant and the day-to-day operation. They are as much a tribute to our success as anything.”
Downard has no plans to retire anytime soon. After all, he said it doesn’t feel like he has a job to retire from.
For now, he’s focused on continuing to build up the town in the best way he knows how.
“I’m focused on how we continue to grow,” he said. “How do we continue to improve events like the Rib-Fest, and how can we continue to work hand-in-hand together with the town and the township to make our community the best it can be?”
Visit avonchamber.org for a current calendar of local events.
