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.
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
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!
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.
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. - PROGRAM BEGINS
Welcome:
Opening Remarks:
Spotlight Award:
Fund-A-Cause:
Opportunity Drawing:
ENTERTAINMENT
Emcee:
Comedy Headliner:
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.
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