CHAIRish the Children
Presented by the Mac Fehsenfeld Family Foundation
On Friday, November 11th, nearly 200 people gathered in the Indianapolis Artsgarden to help The Villages and Prevent Child Abuse Indiana cherish children for the 4th annual CHAIRish the Children event! Through an auction of thirty-five unique chairs created for this event and two one-of-a-kind experiences, over $16,000 was raised to help vulnerable children and families in Indiana.
"This was a wonderful event which showcases talented artists in our community", said Sharon Pierce, The Villages' President and CEO. "These student and guest artists donated their time and talent to help the amazing children and families we're privileged to serve."
This year, two former Villages' foster children who were adopted by their foster mother several years ago - created chairs auctioned off on Friday night. This was a great way for the girls to give back to the agency which gave them so much… their Forever Family! Nautica and Nakkita found this experience to be fun and rewarding, and they loved having the opportunity to help other Villages' kids.
Another notable story came from the sale of a chair before the auction began! The Bookworm Chair, created by Alex and Katie Kortepeter was displayed in the window at the Canterbury Hotel the week before the event. A hotel guest loved the chair and The Villages' mission of championing families that he offered $1,000 to support the cause and take the chair home with him to Michigan. "It was a great way to kick off the event," said Katee Franson, The Villages' Director of Development. "We were grateful for this donor's generosity!"
Thank you to all the artists who created the beautiful chairs which helped raise critical funding for our life-changing programs and services, and the generous sponsors who helped make this event possible. Check our website often for more information about the 2012 CHAIRish the Children event.
