Carmel Magazine September 2021 by Towne Post Network, Inc.

MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2021

FARMING FOR THE FUTURE WATCH US FARM PREPARES FOR FIRST FUNDRAISING GALA

GET A MOVE ON

F45 Training Opens Northeast Carmel Location

KEEP IT COOL

There’s Plenty to Please Your Palate at Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard

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SEPTEMBER 2021

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F45 Training Opens Northeast Carmel Location

Diane Sanders Finds Fulfillment as Author and Consultant

GET A MOVE ON

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There’s Plenty to Please Your Palate at Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard

Glenn Robinson III Impacts Local Families Through ARI Foundation

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Watch Us Farm Prepares for First Fundraising Gala

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F45 TRAINING OPENS NORTHEAST CARMEL LOCATION Writer / Renee Larr Photographer / Linda Oldiges

Physical fitness plays a crucial role in mental and physical well-being. Working out has been shown to improve mood, combat health conditions and boost energy levels. F45 Training, a fitness concept focused on efficiency, opened in Carmel on May 29. Micah Bilotto is the owner and operator. “I studied exercise science at Ball State,” Bilotto says. “I’ve been in the fitness industry for almost 20 years. I taught middle school physical education. I also previously worked for another fitness concept.”

“The workouts are only 45 minutes long,” Bilotto says. “We’re all busy, so the idea behind F45 was to utilize those 45 minutes to the very best.” Studios are located within a four-mile radius of each other by design. “We want it to be a small, close-knit community where people are neighbors,” Bilotto says. “We want our clients to do a quick, efficient workout in 45 minutes and be able to get home from their studio in five minutes.” Classes focus on a total body workout, and change every day.

During the shutdowns through last year, Bilotto started looking at opportunities to own “Certain days of the week focus on resistance something of her own. training, where you’re lifting weights and building lean muscle, which helps you burn “I wanted to be at a place where I could make more calories at rest in the long run,” Bilotto my own decisions,” Bilotto says. “During that says. “Other days are what we call hybrids. downtime, I had the opportunity to sit down Those days are going to give you a little bit of and think about things a little more. That’s cardio at some stations and strength at others.” when I learned about F45.” F45 stands for functional 45.

Saturdays are special days at F45.

4 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2021 / TownePost.com

“On Saturdays we do our Hollywood 60-minute hybrid workout,” Bilotto says. “That day is really fun because we play upbeat music. Members love it.” Rob Deutsch founded F45 in Australia in 2011 to respond to what he saw as an inherent problem with the fitness industry. “Rob noticed people were paying these exorbitant gym fees,” Bilotto says. “Some weren’t even going to the gym, and if they were going they didn’t see results. He saw a lot of people who were overwhelmed at the gym and didn’t know where to start or what to do. He created this atmosphere giving people the energy of a group workout experience with the focus of a personal trainer, at a great price. Members can come in and not even have to think about what equipment they should be using. It’s all already planned and laid out for you.”

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Bilotto knows fitness enthusiasts have many choices when it comes to fitness centers. “I feel like the biggest difference between F45 and other similar fitness studios is we focus on total body throughout the entire week,” Bilotto says. “We have over 4,000 exercises we pull from to prevent overuse, which can lead to injuries. Each day is set up with a different themed workout, so in theory, members could come in every day and do something different each time. However, I still encourage my members to take a day to rest. That’s very important to build into your schedule.” Bilotto realized how quickly F45 was growing in the Fishers community and wanted to replicate that growth in Carmel. “We’re located at the intersection of 146th Street and River Road in Carmel,” Bilotto says. “I love the area where we’re located. I feel like people are oriented towards success. They take care of themselves to be the best version of themselves for their family, job and community. I feel like that’s why F45 is perfect. You get in and get out in less than an hour and get right back to daily life, but you can still be involved in the community.” Bilotto likes to meet members where they are in their fitness routine, and realizes some gyms can be intimidating. “One thing I’m passionate about, and my trainers are passionate about, is understanding everyone is on a different path in their life and with their fitness,” Bilotto says. “We’re here to help you. You can come in and not lift a single weight. Workouts can be modified to be body weight only. I don’t want to push anyone too hard in the beginning. It takes the pressure off, and honestly you can build up over time. I think a lot of our new members have been pleasantly surprised with what they’ve been able to do and what we’ve been able to show them.” F45 Northeast Carmel is located at 14570 River Road, Suite 135. For more information, visit f45training.com.

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Keep it Cool

THERE’S PLENTY TO PLEASE YOUR PALATE AT RITA’S ITALIAN ICE & FROZEN CUSTARD business together,” Wilkos says. “One of the things I enjoy the most is that we have complete control over the environment, and we can make it a super fun place to enjoy a treat and work.”

Steven, Tyler, Steve and Sue Wilkos

Wilkos says he began working when he was a child, and developed a solid work ethic that has helped him tremendously over the years. “I began working at 12, serving customers, and learning the necessary skills to communicate and work with others,” Wilkos says. “I am a firm believer that working in the hospitality industry grounds you, and sets you up for all of what the workplace has to offer in the future.”

Writer / Matt Keating Photographer / Justin Sicking

Steve Wilkos, co-owner of Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, says he loves his customers’ reactions when they discover his establishment. The secret is the relaxing, city-owned courtyard, located directly behind the patio.

“We do our best to highlight both the free underground parking garage near us, and the beautiful courtyard in the back,” Wilkos says. “It is a great space to sit at, and enjoy a treat.”

It’s a work ethic Wilkos wants to pass on to his children.

Wilkos says he loves working at his familyowned business.

“I wanted to leave my kids something, and what I can leave them is the ability to start and run a business,” he says. “If they can do that, they can control their own destiny. They have been along for the entire journey, and are really doing a great job.”

“My wife Sue and I, and our two boys, Steven, 17, and Tyler, 15, entered into this

Wilkos adds that he admires their work with customers.

TownePost.com / SEPTEMBER 2021 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / 7

Blue Raspberry and Cotton Candy are among the favorites, and we have traditional Lemon and cream ices like Cookies and Cream as well. We also offer a sugar-free option daily.” Wilkos says he has his own personal favorites. “I love a mango gelati - a large of course and a Reese’s mudslide concrete is my go-to, feel-good treat,” he says. Wilkos says he and his family work with an outstanding staff. “I am really proud of them,” Wilkos says. “We spent two years working towards this, searching for locations, understanding demographics, market research, pricing, and studying what was out there. While we had other potential sites, and the boys were anxious on those, once we solidified this location both of them said, ‘Now I understand why this is the spot we waited and searched for.’ ”

the family, ‘What should be our point of difference? Now that you have been shopping out there, what will make us special?’” he says. “The response was ‘We need to smile, we need to be fast, and we should be affordable.’ That became our mission that we work towards every day.”

Wilkos received substantial input from his family before they opened the shop.

“Our gelati, which is a treat made with our award-winning custard and Italian ice, gives the best of both worlds, and is unique to Rita’s,” Wilkos says. “Our Mango, Cherry,

“After much market research, I asked

Rita’s has already earned a reputation for high-quality and tasty treats.

8 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2021 / TownePost.com

“They are amazing,” he says. “We are so fortunate they chose to work with us. They have bought on and in to the Rita’s experience. We have had zero turnover, and we appreciate all that they do. They work so hard.” Wilkos says Rita’s, which is part of a chain, has east-coast roots. “Italian ice, often referred to as water ice, was a staple in east-coast neighborhoods in the 1970s, such as my business in Colonia, New Jersey,” Wilkos says. “Rita’s was started

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by a Philadelphia firefighter in 1984, using his mom’s recipe, selling the ice from his small front porch.” Rita’s offers a feeling of nostalgia for people from the east coast. “On any given night at the shop, you can find an east-coaster who has stumbled upon their childhood memory, sharing with other transplants, and proudly boasting of Italian ice to those who are new to it,” Wilkos says. Wilkos says he couldn’t be more appreciative of his customers. “We are appreciative of the community, and the city of Carmel, that have embraced Rita’s,” Wilkos says. Rita’s is located at 110 West Main Street, Suite 127 in Carmel. For more info, call 317-671-6878 or visit ritasice.com.

TownePost.com / SEPTEMBER 2021 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / 9

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Enjoy a special Girls’ Night Out filled with fun and pampering that includes dinner, music, dancing, spa services, and silent auction. Wear your pink pajamas and gather family, friends and co-workers to spend time together while raising funds to support Hoosiers in treatment for breast cancer. The IWIN Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that provides meals, transportation, childcare and other critical services to local breast cancer patients.

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“We have a long list of parents who want their kids here. We need to expand. We just don’t have the space.” — Janice Agarwal

adults can work, learn and thrive in a secure, nurturing setting. The organization helps them build deep friendships, confidence and vocational skills. Each adult employed at the organization takes care of one or more jobs around the farm. They raise heritage animals including Scottish Highland cows, pigs, chickens and more, and cultivate organic produce, which they sell at a farm stand. They handcraft greeting cards and detail cars. Sometimes, they travel off-site for maintenance projects, such as fence painting and trail clearing.

FARMING FOR THE FUTURE WATCH US FARM PREPARES FOR FIRST FUNDRAISING GALA

Writer / Heather Hunter Photography Provided

When they co-founded Watch Us Farm three years ago, Janice and David Agarwal couldn’t predict what the future would bring. Their 501(c)(3) nonprofit, located in Boone County, employs high-functioning adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “We make no money from it,” Janice says. “I do this seven days a week. I couldn’t do that

unless we were changing lives. It’s more than just giving someone a job. We’re giving them friends and helping our society realize that they have value.” Most programs that support high-functioning disabled people end with graduation from high school. Watch Us Farm fills the gap by serving disabled adults, including those with brain injuries and autism, who are too independent for most services, but unable to live without assistance. On the farm, these TownePost.com / SEPTEMBER 2021 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / 11

“We pay all of our adults minimum wage or higher,” David says. “Labor laws allow you to pay pennies to a disabled person, and that’s just not right. Providing at least minimum wage gives them dignity and normalizes what it means for them to work.” One special feature is the farmhouse’s loom room, where the farm’s adults weave beautiful scarves, blankets, table runners and other functional art pieces. Each loom is different, which helps suit the adults’ varying needs. Recently, Watch Us Farm received a $5,000 grant and high-quality textile supplies from Ashford Wheels and Looms in New Zealand to further the project. Another exciting summer project is the farm’s new hoop house, made from materials donated by Witham Health Services. A hoop house resembles a cross between a greenhouse and a tent, protecting sensitive crops from cold and heat. It allows farmers to extend the

growing season from earlier in the spring to later in the fall.

Inspired by the mission, the builder put in extra effort to make the hoop house something special. The structure is spacious, with a high, Through friends, the Agarwals met a man sweeping ceiling. Watch Us Farm is preparing familiar with building hoop houses, botanical for pavers, which they’ll install with the help gardens and other niche features. of volunteers. The hoop house will be done in time to serve as a gorgeous outdoor setting The evening will begin with a gourmet dinner “He came out here and just fell in love with for the organization’s upcoming gala, Dinner provided by Sweet and Savory Catering, our adults, because they’re awesome,” Janice at Dusk. featuring organic ingredients grown at the says. farm. Zionsville-based Grapevine Cottage will Dinner at Dusk will take place on September expertly pair a wine with each dish. For guests Later, Janice learned he had a high-functioning 25, 2021, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. It serves a craving a sweet treat, My Sugar Pie, also based autistic son. It didn’t surprise her. dual purpose - raising funds for the farm, in in Zionsville, will provide slices in autumnal order to expand and raise awareness of its flavors for each table. “Everyone knows someone with special mission and vision. The event will combine needs,” Janice says. “If you don’t, you will.” food, wine, entertainment and an auction into Professional musicians from the Bach to Rock an elegant night under the stars. music school will play live music throughout 12 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2021 / TownePost.com

the evening. The auction, which anyone can access on Watch Us Farm’s website, will run throughout the event. Auction items include one-of-a-kind articles from the farm, like the hide of a Scottish Highland cow. The auction also includes unique donated prizes, such as Waterford lamps, jewelry, and baskets, as well as travel packages like a trip to swim with dolphins. Attendees in evening attire will enjoy the delightful food and company, as the sun sets and the stars begin to sparkle through the clear roof of the newly built hoop house. Tickets for Dinner at Dusk are $100 per person or $1,000 per table - a highly affordable price for the value of the event. Attendance is capped at 150 people, and seats are filling quickly. “You’re getting more than $100 worth of a meal because a lot of it is 100% fresh, organic food grown on our farm,” Janice says. “If you come to this event, you know that all of your money is going straight back to provide jobs in your community to the people who truly need it most.” This will be Watch Us Farm’s first gala, and the Agarwals have big plans for the funds it will raise. In the short term, they’re looking into a hydroponic farm. They’d also love to build a cooling water wall in the hoop house. Such a wall would allow heat-sensitive adults to work through hot days while providing a therapeutic, sensory experience. Their bigger goal is to expand the farm, either by buying more land or starting a new location. The farm has limited space something that weighs on both Janice and David. “We have a long list of parents who want their kids here,” Janice says. “We need to expand. We just don’t have the space.”

When they’re not at the farm, David says, these adults exist in a community that isn’t built for their needs. The model they envision is inspired by facilities they saw in Europe. “You have a town, and next to that you have a community of people with special needs, supported by the town,” David says. “We’d like to have civic support, private support, public support, and make something like this normal.” “A lot of people say, ‘Why didn’t you start with housing?’” Janice adds. “If you just provide housing with no transportation, and without a job that works for their needs, you’ve set them up for failure. You’ve put them in a place where they’re isolated, and most people think they’re so quirky, they won’t get to know them.” When the Agarwals think of permanent land for Watch Us Farm, they think of a complex that becomes a hub for the community. Their priority is a larger, multi-featured farm including a vocational center and beautiful housing for special-needs adults. Janice says they would develop features like a museum, orchards and walking paths.

a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s a low-sensory event where special-needs kids and their siblings can play games, and pick and decorate pumpkins. “We try to get sponsors because we want to make this event all about the families, so it’s totally free for them,” says Janice, encouraging all families with special-needs kids to come enjoy the event. No matter what’s next for Watch Us Farm, the Agarwals are looking forward to it. “I don’t know where we’re going,” Janice says. “Every time I have this plan, it gets bigger. It gets more beautiful. This [version of the farm] was just our experiment. Now that we know it works, we’ve got to grow.” Watch Us Farm is located at 9906 East 200 South in Zionsville. Tickets to Dinner at Dusk are available at watchusfarm.com, along with information for the silent auction. Loomwoven items are also available for purchase on the site. To donate an item, volunteer or visit the farm, call or text 317-590-6496.

“I would love to have a beautiful park setting,” Janice says. “You bring your kids out, we have a farm-to-table restaurant, you volunteer here, maybe even get married here - and our specialneeds adults are contributing to all of it. When you come here and you talk to these adults, you start to realize that this is just the way it should be. What we’re trying to build is right and good, and should be done on a regular basis. This shouldn’t be a new concept. This should be our community.” In order to realize its vision, the Watch Us Farm staff needs support. Those interested in helping can buy tickets for Dinner at Dusk, participate in the online auction during the event, or simply donate through the organization’s website. The staff is also seeking donated gifts for the auction, which any business can provide, and donated land to expand the farm. The Agarwals also encourage community members to volunteer or stop by for a visit.

Expanding the farm would take Watch Us Farm one step closer to its owners’ ultimate vision - a self-sustaining community combining jobs, housing and education for high-functioning disabled adults. With the right setting and community support, Watch Us Farm could create a space for these oftforgotten adults to live fulfilling lives in an Supporters can also sponsor Watch Us Farm’s environment designed to nurture their growth. Fall Festival, scheduled for October 2, from 10

TownePost.com / SEPTEMBER 2021 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / 13

EVENT DETAILS

New Horizons

DIANE SANDERS FINDS FULFILLMENT AS AUTHOR AND CONSULTANT “After a while I started feeling very stressed,” Sanders says. “I had never had any physical problems before, so I decided to find out what was the root cause of the extreme stress. I started researching on my own. I ended up getting a massage, and it changed my life.” After her experience, Sanders became a certified massage therapist and later a certified nutritionist. “Becoming a massage therapist opened up great opportunities working with corporations, doing lunch-and-learns about what people could do to take care of their body,” Sanders says. “From there, I started consulting at a local health food store about nutrition.” Writer / Renee Larr Photography Provided

During that time, she realized many of the people she consulted about nutrition also had emotional issues.

Carmel resident Diane Sanders is living proof that life after 50 is filled with new horizons. After a career in corporate America, Sanders decided she wanted to make a change in her business life.

“They would share with me things that were going on with them emotionally,” Sanders says. “It became fascinating to me that nutrition was connected to emotional well-

14 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2021 / TownePost.com

being and your physical well-being.” Sanders went back to college to obtain a degree in psychology and advanced studies in nutrition. “Being a Christian, I recognized there were biblical principles that connect our soul, mind and physical well-being,” Sanders says. She felt compelled to start Living Strong After 50. Services include nutrition and inner healing consultations, and life coaching. “Most of my clients are in their late 40s to 90s,” Sanders says. “A lot of the topics we talk about are a lack of confidence, not feeling loved, or not knowing their purpose in the next season of their life.” These discussions inspired Sanders to pen her book, “Twenty Decrees and Declarations for Women: The Power of God’s Word and the Power of Your Voice.” “I chose 20 topics I felt most women could relate to throughout their life,” Sanders says.

“In the book I explain what a decree and declaration is and use scriptures from the Bible to support those. I put them in the very simplest terms so they can read it, proclaim it and speak on it. If we speak our words, our thoughts begin to follow.”

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Sanders wants others to know you’re never too old to do something new. “I heard from some of my colleagues when I went back to college that they wanted to go back but felt too old,” Sanders says. “It just touched my heart. If you have something in you that you want to do, it’s time to do it. Whether it’s changing careers or writing a book, it’s time to do it. The reward for me has been awesome.”

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Sanders realizes sometimes people just need encouragement to make a change. “Sometimes people just need someone to tell them to take the risk or offer advice,” Sanders says. “I hope I can be that person for other people.” For more information on Living Strong After 50, or to purchase Sanders’ book, visit livingstrongafter50.com.

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LEADING BY EXAMPLE GLENN ROBINSON III IMPACTS LOCAL FAMILIES THROUGH ARI FOUNDATION

TownePost.com / SEPTEMBER 2021 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / 17

where he realized what it was going to take if While playing for the Pacers, Robinson he wanted to make his own way to the NBA. decided to buy a house in central Indiana and was drawn to Zionsville, where he “I saw the numbers statistically as a kid, and currently resides. s the son of an NBA star and Indiana I was like, ‘I have to make it. I have to be one Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, “I’m a country boy - I like space,” Robinson Glenn Robinson III had a lot expected of these 3,000 kids [at Lake Central] that move on to the next level,’” Robinson says. says. “I do like neighbors, but I like a of him growing up. Early on, however, the “I would be at the school an hour before little bit of room. If you go to some places Gary native learned it was imperative that school started, and I would get up 1,000 downtown, you’re just surrounded. I ended he pave his own path to success. shots every morning. I really think high up moving to Zionsville in 2017, my second year with the Pacers. I kept the house and I “That was probably one of the biggest hurdles school taught me how to be different.” love it.” that I had to get through, being young and Robinson went on to play college basketball having the same name as not only my dad, but a number-one pick in ’94 who was also a out of state at the University of Michigan - a In addition to personally liking the area, Robinson’s 3-year-old daughter Ari lives in Purdue basketball legend,” Robinson says. “I decision that puzzled some at first. Carmel, so living in Zionsville keeps them had to get past that, create my own lane and “My dad had gone to Purdue, and everyone near each other. realize I’m my own person.” always asked me, ‘Why didn’t you go to Purdue or Indiana, being an Indiana kid?’” “It’s a community where I can get to From birth, Robinson was immersed he says. “I always tell them - because no downtown Indianapolis if I need to,” in basketball culture via his father. At a one knows - that neither one offered me a Robinson says. “As far as building a family very young age, he even had a post-game full scholarship. Michigan offered me a full and the school system, there’s nothing better encounter with one Michael Jordan. scholarship and is a better school, so I took it.” that you can get than a town like Zionsville.” “My dad was playing against Michael Speaking of his daughter, Robinson Jordan,” he says. “Michael had 44 points. My After being drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2014 NBA Draft, started a foundation named after her in dad had 42. The Bulls ended up winning. Robinson eventually found his way to the 2018 called the Angels are Real Indeed I was in the stands with my mom and my Indiana Pacers in 2015, where he spent (ARI) Foundation, which is dedicated grandma. You know those signs you hold three seasons playing for the blue and gold. to empowering fathers and families of up behind the backboard that say ‘miss?’ fatherless homes. Michael Jordan turned it around to the side that said ‘make’ since they won, and he “Coming back to Indiana, it really made me realize how much this state loves basketball “Growing up with my father being who he signed it for me.” was, I always said, ‘I want to continue on our and the genuine love you get [as a player] legacy, and I want to be even better than my here,” he says. Not surprisingly, Robinson would go on to dad was,’” Robinson says. find success at Lake Central High School, Writer / Seth Johnson Photographer / Robby Berry

18 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2021 / TownePost.com

Since starting his nonprofit, Robinson has gained support for the ARI Foundation from NBA teammates like Draymond Green and Steph Curry (as a member of the Golden State Warriors), Al Horford (as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers) and Myles Turner (a former Pacers teammate). “I’ve had a bunch of teammates support me - teammates that are fathers and not fathers,” he says. holding his annual fall-themed “Pumpkins with Pops” event. Like all ARI Foundation While the nonprofit and its efforts have functions, this event will be free and open to moved with Robinson from team to team, the public. the current NBA free agent is now claiming Indiana as the ARI Foundation’s home base. “We encourage dads to bring their kids, but sometimes we do open it up to both “Now being home more during the parents,” Robinson says. “We just try to summer, I can really get out and reach the create as much positivity as we can within community where I’m from and try to make the city.” an impact,” Robinson says. “What better place to do it?” At the end of the day, his ultimate hope is to have a lasting impact on families for On the near horizon, Robinson will be

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generations to come. “To be able to play in the league for seven years has been great, but it means nothing if I don’t pass along things that I’ve learned on and off the court,” Robinson says. “It’s so important that we just keep growing and have people who are leading the youth. It’s a hard job, and it’s not for everybody. But I’m willing to take that on.” To learn more about the ARI Foundation and its upcoming events, be sure to visit ARIFoundation.org.

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CARMEL EYECARE are nearsighted, your eye, front to back, is longer than optically ideal. “When we work on tablets at young ages and stare at computers all day long, we’re telling our eyes to make that eyeball longer so it’s easier to focus up close,” Dr. Garn says. “But that makes it harder to see far away.” When he and his colleagues see young patients with nearsighted progression that’s consistent over several years, they have some tools that can project where they will end up in their 20s. That information enables them to recommend alternate options.

14560 River Road, Suite 120 Carmel, IN

317-843-2020

carmeleyecare.com

CONNECT

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Linda Oldiges

Carmel Eyecare has recently opened its new location — at the intersection between 146th Street and River Road. Carmel Eyecare is a sister location to Zionsville

Eyecare, both owned by Dr. Nicholas Garn. Though it’s a shared ownership with a shared vision, Carmel Eyecare is dedicated to serving an even broader community in its larger location in Carmel. “This is a growing area, just like the practice is growing as we add more services, particularly ones that involve myopia management,” Dr. Garn says. He notes that the growth of nearsightedness in the United States population is significant. In fact, experts estimate that 42% of Americans will be nearsighted by 2030 and as many 65% will be by 2050. This staggering number is due, in large part, to the fact that we spend so much time with our eyes glued to screens. “The body constantly maneuvers itself to make it easier for whatever we’re doing, so when we give our two-, three-, and fouryear-olds iPads and ask them to read instead of having them play outdoors, the result is that the brain makes the eyeball longer,” says Dr. Garn, who explains that when you 20 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2021 / TownePost.com

There are a couple of different contact lens options. One is a traditional gas permeable lens that’s worn overnight. As you sleep, the lens reshapes the front of your eye and helps change how the brain responds to focusing up-close. This system is called corneal reshaping therapy or CRT. “Think of it like a retainer in your mouth that’s used following braces,” Dr. Garn says. In November 2019, the FDA approved a soft lens called MiSight, a soft, daily disposable contact lens that has similar results to the gas permeable overnight option. These comfortable lenses do not need to be cleaned or disinfected. Patients involved in sports favor the CRT system because when they wake up in the morning and take the lens out, their eye has been physically shortened, yet they don’t have to wear glasses or contact lenses during the day. At Carmel Eyecare, they also just brought in some new technology called Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). It’s a tool that allows doctors to measure the layers of the retina in the back of the eye so that they can get a more detailed look at macular degeneration risks and progression. They

Dr. Matthew Clark, Dr. Meret Thomas-Huebner and team

can also manage and monitor glaucoma risk and progression as well as spot any suspicious tumors or diseases on the rest of the periphery. In addition, diabetic retinopathy can be tracked, managed and diagnosed. According to Garn, diabetic retinopathy is the biggest risk for diabetic patients as they have the potential to suffer serious sight-threatening and long-term vision loss issues.

Huebner are both national board-certified optometrists. Clark, a Fishers native, practiced at the LASIK Vision Institute in Carmel and at Zionsville Eyecare before joining Carmel Eyecare. Clark strives to provide thorough ocular care and education to all of his patients. He offers primary care for all ages, ocular disease and emergency treatment, and contact lens services, including scleral contact lenses.

Since 2016, Carmel Eyecare has offered Optomap ultra-widefield imaging that can capture more than 180 degrees of the retina in a single image.

Thomas-Huebner, who grew up in Evansville, became involved with Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity during optometry school where she helped organize an IUSO build day with Habitat for Humanity. During her residency, she developed a special interest in treating dry eye disease.

“It allows us to not have to dilate patients during their exam, yet we can still get an entire view of the back of their retina allowing us to look at changes over time,” Dr. Garn says. It’s especially great for children who often fear eyedrops. “With Optomap, kids are way more comfortable coming to the eye doctor,” Dr. Garn adds. Dr. Matthew Clark and Dr. Meret Thomas-

Every year Garn’s team helps the community by participating in a Day of Giving. This year that will take place on Saturday, September 18, at Zionsville Eyecare. “It will be an entire day of 48 appointment slots of completely free eyecare, including glasses, frames, lenses and exams for anyone who’s unable to afford it or is down on their luck,” Dr. Garn says. “Perhaps they don’t TownePost.com / SEPTEMBER 2021 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / 21

Dr. Nicholas Garn

have insurance, are unemployed, or have kids with special needs and maybe their vision plans don’t cover enough for a second pair of glasses.” Chick-fil-A is supplying food for the day. Carmel Eyecare is also partnering with manufacturers to provide frames and lens suppliers to donate lenses. Seven doctors will serve that day. “We want to help meet the needs of the community as much as possible,” Dr. Garn says. Carmel Eyecare is located at 14560 River Road, Suite 120 in Carmel. For more information, visit carmeleyecare.com or call 317-843-2020.

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