Schedule a Medical Appointment: 

  Or call (877) 574-1254

 24-Hour Crisis Lines: 

(800) 560-4038 or (317) 574-1252

 After-Hours Medical Concerns: 

(888) 736-6138

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Many of them have been with us since our very first Stand Up for Kids! event. We want our community and tonight’s audience to know how much we appreciate them and the good they are doing for the children at Kids Talk.

WELCOME TO STAND UP FOR KIDS

Antony Sheehan

Greetings, and thank you for joining us for Stand Up for Kids 2024! 


I am Antony Sheehan, President & CEO of Aspire Indiana Health, and I have the pleasure of participating in this special event for my very first time after joining the company a few months ago. Kids Talk Child Advocacy Center has been helping abused and neglected children in Madison County since 2014, and has expanded to also include advocacy for vulnerable adults, seniors and sex trafficking victims, as well as sexual abuse prevention education in area schools.


In the decade Kids Talk has existed, it has served an astonishing 5,000 children. Additionally, more than 1,800 non-offending adult caregivers have been connected with emotional support, social services and advocacy within the criminal justice and child welfare systems.


Why a comedy show? It’s a question we often get asked about a program involved in such very serious work. And the simple truth is that laughter really can be the best medicine. The specially trained staff at Kids Talk works with local law enforcement and governmental agencies united by the common goal of protecting children. All of these dedicated individuals are called upon to bear witness to the worst humanity has to offer, and as you can imagine it’s quite a tremendous emotional strain.


So what better way to support them, both spiritually and financially, than with comedy?


We’re very pleased to present nationally touring comedian Zoltan Kaszas as the headline act for tonight’s festivities. We’re also thankful to Harrah's Hoosier Park Casino and Racing for stepping up to host us for the first time. And of course, our gratitude extends to all of you for showing up to support Kids Talk.


Your presence, generosity and laughter serve as a bright flame of hope. We thank you!


Antony Sheehan

President & CEO of Aspire Indiana Health


Denise Valdez

Welcome to the eighth annual Stand Up for Kids! We are grateful to have you here with us. Can you believe that in 2024, we are celebrating 10 years of hard but gratifying work – 10 years of serving some of the most vulnerable children in Madison County? I am fortunate to work with a group of passionate people who give their all to make sure that children are comfortable, safe and secure when they come to Kids Talk.


We are grateful to work with an amazing multidisciplinary team in Madison County. This team of prosecutors, detectives, DCS workers, forensic interviewers, advocates, mental health and health care workers are equally passionate and work tirelessly to ensure that children and their non-offending caregivers receive the best care and to ensure that offenders are held accountable. 


Much of the money we raise tonight will be dedicated to our child abuse prevention program that we teach in schools. I can’t think of a better way to protect children than to teach them about body safety rules and how to report violations to trusted adults.


Tonight is our night to honor children who are brave enough to tell us about some of the worst things that have happened to them. They deserve our support, and you are doing just that by choosing to laugh with us tonight. We hope you will take your support a step further by bidding on our silent auction items, participating in the opportunity drawings, buying merchandise or making a donation. Your support could make the difference in the safety of a child’s life.


Enjoy your evening and, on behalf of the children and families we serve, thank you for being here!


Denise Valdez

Director of Aspire Indiana Health Kids Talk



A lot has happened in the 10 years since we opened our doors at Kids Talk. Ten years of providing a safe space for over 5,000 children to speak with us, many of whom tell us about the most horrific things they have seen and witnessed in great detail. We started with a staff of one and have grown to a staff of six people over the years. To be honest, we could use more help!


While this work can be emotionally taxing, we know that these children need someone who can listen to them. So often we are asked how we could possibly do this work. The truth is we are passionate and we don’t understand people who wouldn’t want to help these children. That’s where you come in. Helping kids doesn’t mean you have to do the investigation but you can have a profound impact on their lives just through donations. We get the gift of seeing the relief in children’s eyes when they can finally tell their story to a safe person. We get to see nervous children calm down when given fidget and comfort items we are able to provide through your support. We get to see children who are hungry get their fill of food. We get to see children who sometimes have not been able to bathe in weeks receive hygiene items just for themselves. We get to see a little bit of respite through their eyes and we get to see our hardworking multidisciplinary partners work hard to make those children safer. That’s how we do the work we do. We keep our eyes on the end game.


So thank you for being here with us tonight and thank you for doing the work with us in the ways that you can. It means a lot to all of us!

Harrah's ad
Nuvem ad
Genoa ad
Community Hospital ad

Curious how else you can support Kids Talk? 


  • Invite Kids Talk to share more about our support of local children and families at your next PTO meeting, town meeting, or community event. Meeting with community members raises awareness about the work Kids Talk does.
  • Organize your community group or neighborhood to host a donation drive sponsoring Kids Talk. Contact Kids Talk to get our current list of needs.
  • Help Kids Talk fill up our Amazon Wish List. We understand that not everyone can attend meetings or have spaces to host an engagement. If you are willing and able to please donate to Kids Talk. We have an Amazon Wish List that makes donating easy and tells you exactly what we need.
  • Tag Kids Talk to spread awareness in your photos from this evening using the hashtag #StandUp4KidsTalk 


TONIGHT'S PROGRAM


Zoltan Kaszas is an award-winning stand-up comedian known for his sharp, observational humor and love of cats. Born in Hungary, Zoltan and his mother immigrated to the United States in 1991, first settling in Pittsburgh before moving to the trailer parks of San Diego.


Kaszas, who The Atlantic called a “breakout star,” has been featured on several SiriusXM comedy channels, Laughs on Fox, commercials from Manscaped, Netflix Is a Joke radio, has had hit Dry Bar comedy specials “Cat Jokes” and “Average Intelligence,” as well as headlined comedy clubs and theaters across the country. He won the Seattle International Comedy competition, a month-long event held in Washington state. Kaszas also rocked first place gigs at the San Diego Comedy Festival, San Diego’s Funniest Person contest and the Rockstar Energy Drink Comedy Throwdown plus spent a month in Edinburgh, Scotland at the Fringe Festival. However, it was Kaszas’ riff on why cats are better than dogs that quickly went viral, racking up over 68 million views on Facebook. The video traveled the globe, even landing in The Guardian’s (UK) as one of the “ten funniest things I’ve seen on the Internet.”


Sharing the stage with well-known comedians such as Bert Kreischer, Mark Normand, and Taylor Tomlinson - who called him “the funniest, most prolific comic alive” - only raised his game. Kaszas has must-see comedy specials on YouTube, “Modern Male” (3.2 million views), and his most recent special “White Lies,” both filmed at the Grand Comedy Club in Escondido, CA. His ability to take relatable experiences and turn them into hilarious stories has earned him both critical acclaim and a loyal following. Whether on tour, or online, Zoltan Kaszas continues to charm audiences with his unforgettable, relevant, and smart brand of comedy.


Schedule

6:00 - 7:00 p.m.   

  • Social Hour
  • Silent Auction
  • Opportunity Drawing Ticket Sales
  • Hors D’oeuvres
  • Drinks


7:00 p.m. - PROGRAM BEGINS


Welcome:  

  • Alex Valdez, Emcee


Opening Remarks: 

  • Antony Sheehan, President & CEO, Aspire Indiana Health
  • Denise Valdez, Director, Kids Talk Child Advocacy Center


Spotlight Award:

  • Becky Oldham, Manager, Kids Talk Child Advocacy Center


Fund-A-Cause:

  • Sami House, Deputy Prosecutor, Madison County Prosecutor’s Office
  • Scott Bertram, Detective, Pendleton Police Department


Opportunity Drawing:

  • Alex Valdez


ENTERTAINMENT


Emcee:

  • Alex Valdez


Comedy Headliner:

  • Zoltan Kaszas


Note: The silent auction will close at approximately 8:15 p.m. Winners will be notified by text message. Prizes can be picked up after the show.


Firefly ad
Home Instead ad
Star Bank ad
Anderson Indiana ad
Ken Kocinski ad

Thank You to Our Open Mic Sponsors

Elwood Police Department/Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #82

Marlena and Matt Washington

Performance Tax Group

Jim and Tina Skeel

Ruoff Mortgage

Madison County Community Foundation

Madison County Circuit Court Judges

Madison County Prosecutor’s Office


THANK YOU TO OUR SILENT AUCTION DONORS

Ale Emporium

Anderson Museum of Art

Aspire Indiana Outpatient Services

Bark Box

Bub’s Burgers

The Cake Bake Shop

The Center for the Performing Arts

Chelsea’s Cakes

Chuy’s Tex Mex

City of Anderson/Grandview Golf Course

Coldstone Creamery

Community Sports and Wellness

Conner Prairie

Cooper's Hawk Winery

Daniel’s Vineyard

Dig Dig For Kids

Emagine Theater

Four Day Ray Brewing Co.

Fowling Warehouse

Courtney Ginder/Mad 4 Cookies

Handel’s Ice Cream

Holiday World

Honor Yoga

Huse Culinary

Indiana Beach

Indiana Pacers

Indiana State Fair

Indianapolis Indians

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

Indianapolis Zoo

Indy Eleven

Ken Kocinski for Surveyor

Matt Kopp

KT Properties/KT Pawn

Pat Miller

Tara Moore

Muncie Children’s Museum

Pins Mechanical Co.

Portillo’s

The Shake Shack

Wanda and Johnny Somboretz

Styles by Gracie

Sweet Face Esthetics

Top Golf

Total Wine and More

Tuttle’s Orchard

UPaint Pottery Studio

Urban Air

Denise and Alex Valdez

Patty and Ernie Yeager/Yeager Family Farm




Contact us at:

Kids Talk 

(765) 641-8202

kidstalk@aspireindiana.org

denise.valdez@aspireindiana.org