Pacesetter – Geist Half President Leaves a Wake of Community Committment

The Troyer family in their Cambridge kitchen (left to right) Matt, Clay, Emily, and Kim.

Most of us try to do the best job we can just to keep up in our hectic daily routine of life. We try to stay ahead of the competition in our career, coping with long hours and learning new technology. We attempt to balance the demands of family, focusing on our kids and their activities. And then there are some in their spare time, who try to help give back to the community because they know it’s the right thing to do. Yet there’s a select few who have excelled way beyond the call of duty in all these areas of life reaching their pinnacle of excellence. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting one such exemplary individual—Matt Troyer, a Geist resident who makes it look rather easy achieving these goals with grace, dignity, loyalty, and confidence.

Currently, Matt is president of the Geist Half Marathon Inc. (www.geisthalf.com). In fact, he was one of its founding members. Before he stepped up to help Geist Half, he was president of Prevail (www.prevailinc.com) for eight years after serving on the board for two. Furthermore, he served on the Board of Directors and Executive Board of the Hamilton Southeastern Foundation (HSSF) for three years. In short, if there is a Geist-area charity with far-reaching impact, Matt has probably served on its board. In addition to helping in the community, Matt is a corporate attorney and partner at Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP.

“Matt is a talented attorney who graciously donates his skills and time to many community organizations,” says Eileen Pritchard, former Fishers Town Council member. “The time and energy he put into the Prevail Board, and his service on Town Boards, is a model for serving your community.” Incidentally, he served on the Town of Fishers Board of Zoning Appeals and Town of Fishers Redevelopment Commission.

Actions that Prevail

Prevail is a program providing assistance to victims of crime and abuse in Hamilton and surrounding counties. Beth Gehlhausen, founder of Prevail Inc., can not say enough good things about Matt.

“He is a wonderful man who cares about his community. He grew to really understand the organization and had a deep commitment to the people we served which doesn’t always happen with board members. Matt worked tirelessly, was very engaged and passionate about helping Prevail. He was always very organized which was a big plus with our fundraising efforts and his negotiating skills were a huge part of resolving an obstacle that arose when securing a large gift.”

With the funds from this large gift, Matt went one step further. He created a foundation. He says, “It was very important to me that we use this multimillion dollar gift to achieve long-term sustainability for Prevail. I was concerned that if we didn’t, the money would just be spent in a relatively short term.”

“When I think of Matt, what stands out are his leadership skills and his compassion for the people that Prevail serves,” says Glenda Garrison, former Board of Director for Prevail. ”It’s such a small world. Even before I met Matt, I actually knew his wife, Kim, first. She was my son’s third grade teacher in Carmel. And my son loved her.”

His Time with Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation Still Lives On

The HSSF provides scholarships and teacher grants within the Hamilton Southeastern district. One of Matt’s main achievements was implementing the ExactTarget email system which enables communicating with parents throughout the year.

“Matt is a visionary and strategist, very skilled with volunteer driven organizations,” says Tim Calvert, past president of HSSF. He continues, “Matt consistently brings a business minded approach focused squarely on organizational development and improvement. The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation has benefited greatly from his leadership and partnership efforts with the Foundation and the Geist Half Marathon.”

Although he may not currently be on the HSSF board, his efforts with raising funds through GHM are certainly paying off well as HSSF benefits from every dollar raised by the Geist Half Marathon.

Backtracking His Path

Growing up in Carmel, Matt attended Carmel High School where he played several sports including running cross country. As a student there, he probably never dreamed he would someday become one of the founders and president of the Geist Half Marathon. He also probably never thought he would find his future wife, but he did. He started dating Kim during his senior year and they were both on the prom court.

After earning a business degree (accounting) at Miami University, he worked for Deloitte & Touche for three years before going to law school at Indiana University. He and his high school sweetheart got married and eventually built a home in the Springs of Cambridge at Geist.

Matt would go running within the neighborhood and think to himself about what a perfect setting Geist would be for a community race. Coincidentally, he happened to read an article in the Geist Community Newsletter about how others were going to meet at Burd Ford to start planning the inaugural Geist Half Marathon.

Going an Extra Mile for Geist Half Marathon and in Perfect Time

Troyer (center) at the inaugural Geist Half Marathon in 2008 with women’s half marathon winner and neighbor Lisa Verona and Geist Half co-founder Tom Britt.

During the early stages of planning, we needed a new lawyer to volunteer and help us,” recalls Tom Britt, publisher of the Geist Community Newsletter and a founding member of the Geist Half Marathon. “The attorney who had been helping us early on was leaving for another job in Texas on a Friday. That same day, I got a phone call from Matt saying that he wanted to help out. I told him, ‘Matt your timing is impeccable.’”

Tom admires many things about Matt, like how he donated so much of his time and legal work behind the 501c3 application. Due to his efforts, Matt and his firm saved the Geist Half thousands of dollars.

“He’s a true turnaround artist,” Tom added. “A couple years ago, we faced the worst race financially we had experienced. Matt stepped in as president, and as a result, the Geist Half had our most profitable year yet in 2012. He’s been a linchpin in the success of our growth and our organization’s success.”

His Visions Became Real

“When I took over the board, I had two visions,” says Matt. “My first vision was to put on a great event that people would want to come back to year in and year out, one that the community could be proud of and that the participants would want to make an annual event, not just a one time deal. The second vision I had, was to raise absolutely as much as money as we possibly could for the schools.”

His visions have become a reality. With the $80,000 netted in last year’s race, a total of $60,000 was donated to the HSE and Lawrence schools. The remaining balance was assigned to the Geist Half Marathon Grant Program, empowering teachers or parent volunteers who wish to organize a health and wellness initiative for local children. The applicants must live in Marion, Hamilton, or Hancock counties and the application is on the Geist Half Marathon website.

Matt explains, “With the help of our talented board, our main focus this year is to institutionalize the processes so that the race will not be dependent on those of us who started it.” Tom, now Executive Director of the Geist Half adds, “We want this event to live way past us so that our grand kids can run this race and extend the valuable memories.”

On the Home Front

Matt manages to find time for his family and other organizations. He has been a travel soccer coach for the Fishers Soccer Club, coaching teams for both of his kids, Clay, a seventh grader at HSE Junior High and Emily, a sophomore at Cathedral.

Since Matt gives back to the community so eagerly it’s not surprising that his wife, Kim Troyer, also contributes her time. Her main community involvement is at the Christamore House Guild, where she is also a member. She also volunteers with the Geist Half wherever she is needed such as with handing out flyers, filing in at packet pick-up, or delivering coffee to early morning volunteers on race day. She is also active with the Fishers Soccer Club, serving as a team manager for many years. Kim, a realtor, has worked as an independent broker for 13 years. As of last year, she has joined Keller Williams and is enjoying her new affiliation. She says, “It’s a great group of people to work with.”

At only 42 years of age, Matt has accomplished a lifetime of achievements. While his friends and associates at Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, the Town of Fishers, Prevail Inc., Hamilton Southeastern School Foundation, and Geist Half Marathon all rave about Matt, perhaps his biggest fans are at home. His wife Kim admires his ability to approach all facets of life in a creative way.

“The best way to sum up how I feel about Matt is that he is a great support network whether it is for his friends, his family, co-workers, or those that he volunteers with for Geist Half or any of the other boards.”

Donate Your Prom Dress: Make Her Dream Come True

Nancy Reed (left) and Bryn Cieciura plan the specifics for the Fishers Tri Kappa sale.

Every girl should have the chance to buy an affordable prom dress to wear on one of the most special nights of her life. Though every young lady dreams about her special dress, unfortunately, some girls cannot afford one. YOU can help make someone’s dream become a reality by offering your prom dress.

Simply donate your gently-used prom or formal dress to Fishers Tri Kappa. The members of this reputable organization will clean, mend, and sell the dresses for a nominal price with proceeds going toward next year’s sale preparation and purchasing of new dresses. Although Tri Kappa has been a statewide philanthropic sorority since 1901, the Fishers chapter was established in 1991.

“When we host this event, this is not a fund raiser for us but rather a service project,” says Kim Goss, member of Fishers Tri Kappa Sorority. “We just want to help make beautiful prom dresses more accessible to everyone.” Attending today’s prom can become a costly package as most girls attempt to make sure they look perfect with their dress, hair, nails, and shoes.

6th Annual Fishers Tri Kappa Prom Dress Sale

The 6th Annual Fishers Tri Kappa Prom Dress Sale will take place on March 2, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Delaware Township Government Center located at 9090 131st Street (corner of 131st and Highway 37). Students must show a valid school ID and pay with cash. The dress sizes range from 0 to 18+ and may be any color, style, or length. Some jewelry and accessories will be available. The prices range from $10 to $40. Just imagine. Some girl could discover your “old” dress that will be “new” to her. She will feel as special as you did on prom night!

“Each sale signifies an absolute community outreach,” says Bryn Cieciura, co-chair of the prom dress sale committee. “We want to make sure that as we reach out to these various communities, we can offer a beautiful, large selection of dresses. We would like to stretch out to as many areas across Indy as possible, from Lawrence and Fishers to Pendleton and Anderson.”

Fishers Tri Kappa embraces these core values: Charity, culture, and education. In addition to the prom dress project, Fishers Tri Kappa stays busy organizing many charitable events throughout the year.

Fairy Godmothers Working Hard to Make Dreams Come True

“If we outfit even one girl, then it’s a success,” says Nancy Reed, co-chair of the prom dress sale committee. Nancy continues, “It gives you such a good feeling to see a girl find her dress. It’s usually someone who works hard. I remember when a girl came in one day and she had just gotten off of work as a waitress. She pulled out all her one dollar bills and started counting them. It was very touching.”

“During the sale we are all like mother hens, helping the girls try on their dresses,” says Cieciura. “We are running around ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ over all the girls. We have a lot of fun helping them.”

How Do I Donate My Prom Dress?

If you would like to donate your prom dress to this most worthy cause, please send a message to pr.fisherstrikappa@gmail.com and send to the attention of either Bryn Cieciura or Nancy Reed. Tax deduction forms are available for your donation.

Reed reminds us, “A lot of us have prom dresses hanging in our closets, collecting dust, with no purpose. Yet every girl should have the opportunity to feel perfect. Everyone deserves this moment and should have this chance.”

Praying 4 Jacob: Ongoing Mission of Hope and Healing

Jacob Bolling’s senior photo.

On March 8, Jacob Bolling (18), a senior at Hamilton Southeastern High School, experienced an accident on his way to school. Although there is no certainty about the exact cause, the heavy rain may have contributed to his truck hydroplaning prior to hitting a large tree on Cyntheanne Road. No, he had not been texting on his phone and yes, he was wearing a seat belt. Unfortunately, he suffered significant brain trauma resulting in his comatose state ever since.

Who is Jacob Bolling?

“Jacob’s whole life has been centered on music,” says Luann Hansen, family friend of the Bolling family. Not only did Jacob play the guitar, but he also played the drums for “Drumline” and the marching band at HSE High School. Moreover, he played drums in a praise band at Bethel Lutheran Church. Luann recalls, “Shortly before his accident, he and his friends made a mixed CD with some of their favorite songs. Since then, his friends have come by his home to visit and play the CD for him. One day when Jacob was over at our house, he asked my husband, Kevin, if he could use his guitar for his senior pictures.” Obviously, it was very important to have this instrument sitting with him in the background, signifying a meaningful prop. To his family and friends, Jacob is very much alive and so is his love for music.

In addition to recently becoming an Honor Roll student at HSE, Jacob is an Eagle Scout. His project, a community garden, involved him building the planter boxes to grow vegetables and getting the soil donated. The vegetables from his garden went toward the food pantry at his church. Since his accident, the youth group has taken over the responsibilities and kept his garden alive, in his honor.

On April 6, Jacob’s family moved him to the Shepherd Center (specializing in acquired brain/spinal cord injuries) in Atlanta, Georgia. Jacob lives with his parents, Sheree and Baxter, and is the youngest of four children. Together, they have faced their fair share of obstacles. For instance, the fourth day after the accident, the medical staff basically gave up hope on Jacob. However, the Bolling family, strong in their faith, was not about to give up.

Jacob had to have his spleen removed due to excessive bleeding. In addition, he had to have his ear sewn back on because it was so badly severed. Furthermore, during the surgery for inserting a stomach tube, the staff punctured his colon in two different places. As a result, this operation had to be repeated. What’s more, his tracheotomy had to be redone in Georgia. On top of all this, he also had pneumonia, a scratched cornea, six pairs of casts on his feet, and five casts on one arm. Luann says, “They have to keep the feet at the right angle so that they will heal properly allowing him to walk again someday.”

Jacob stayed in Georgia for almost four months before coming back home to Noblesville. Luann states, “This facility did everything they could do to try and wake him up. Technically, he is still in a coma, but emerging. Although his eyes can now open, he is unable to follow commands on a regular basis or hold anything in his hands.” He can sit in a wheel chair (with his helmet on,) and be fed minimal soft foods and sips of liquids. He has a bone flap (which means a part of his skull is out) and a pain pump implanted in his side.

Expenses Are Steep

The feeding tube costs $13 per day, $85 per week, $380/month and is not covered by insurance. In order to help the Bolling family, Luann decided to sell wristbands that read “Praying 4 Jacob” for $5 apiece. So far, almost 2,000 bands have been sold, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the Bolling family. There have been successful fundraisers held for Jacob by groups such as the Boy Scouts of America and HSE High School.

How Can I Help?

Here are some ways to help the Bolling family:

• Meals – You can either sign up to take them a meal or pay for this organization to prepare one and personally deliver it for you. Go to www.takethemameal.com and type in Bolling and password, 8971, which will bring you to a calendar and instructions from LeeAnn Stein.
• Donations – You can make a donation via www.takethemameal.com or you can contact Luann at poovey0409@yahoo.com to order wristbands.
• Fundraisers – You can offer your own ideas or contact Luann for fundraisers that have been pre-arranged for you.
• Upcoming Fundraiser – On Sept. 29, a “Carwash for Jacob” – with concessions – will be held at 9:00 a.m. at the Tractor Supply (Highway 37 in Noblesville).

An Excellent Way to Earn Service Hours

If you know of any teens looking to earn service hours, then Luann can help provide contact information. She says, “I need people to pick a day and an opportunity they would like to help with. It’s really easy. They just need to send out fliers. Dairy Queen, Buffalo Wild Wings and Chili’s (in Noblesville) have all agreed to help if someone can just step forward.”

Also, a company called Discover “FUN” draisers offers the selling of large garbage bags where orders can be taken ahead of time (much like Girl Scout Cookies). With fall coming and the need to rake leaves, these bags would come in handy.

“Every little bit helps,” says Luann. “They (Sheree and Baxter) just bought a wheelchair van to take Jacob to the doctor. Jacob’s parents have been working alternating shifts with their respective jobs in order to take care of him. Plus, they both get up at 12:00am and 4:00am every night to tend to his needs. I know this is exhausting for them. Anything you can do, big or small, is greatly appreciated.”

Follow Jacob’s Recovery:

• Facebook page
• Caringbridge.org: jacobbolling

Clearer Water at Geist Reservoir Comes at a Price

Zebra Mussels Flexing Their Way into Geist

(Left to right) Dan Wise, Scott Rodgers and Dave Irish all have vested interests in the water quality at Geist Reservoir.

Have you noticed any difference in the water clarity of Geist? Some residents believe the water appears clearer lately. This represents a positive attribute for our seven-mile-long body of water — or does it? Many are speculating that zebra mussels are the reason. These freshwater mollusks, which were originally seen as far back as 1769 in the Caspian Sea and Ural River in Russia, have gradually been invading our rivers and lakes in America. Now they have entered Geist. These mussels are a threat to our fishermen, boaters, drinking water system, and ecosystem.

“I was fishing one day and I caught two invasive species in one cast,” says Dan Wise, Service Manager at Geist Lake Marina. Two years ago, Wise was fishing on Geist when he saw a zebra mussel attached to a Chinese mystery snail. It actually was enclosed in the “trap door function” of the startled snail. Luckily, Wise, president of the Fall Creek Valley Bassmasters in Pendleton, was already well read on the various invasive species when he lured his prized-catch that day. Wise was the first person to report finding a zebra mussel in Geist.

What Are They?

About the size of a dime, zebra mussels are small but multiply very quickly.

Zebra mussels, whose scientific name is dreissena polymorpha, are also called bivalves because they have two valves or shells – one on the left and one on the right. Incidentally, their dark-striped pattern against the light-beige-colored valve is how zebra mussels earned their name. However, some shells are either real dark or light thereby hindering the appearance of stripes altogether. Since their shells are extremely sharp, recreational users of Geist should consider wearing wading shoes in order to avoid stepping on them and getting cuts on their feet.

Ranging in size from 1 to 2 inches long, zebra mussels are native to freshwater rivers and lakes in Western Asia and Eastern Europe but were first discovered in the United States in 1988 in Lake St. Clair (located between Lake Huron and Lake Erie.) In 1990, they were found in Lake Michigan and by 1991, they were seen in Lakes Wolf, Syracuse, and Wawasee.

Zebra mussels generally live for 4 to 5 years and in water depths of 6 to 24 feet. The female produces between 30,000 and 1 million eggs per year. Their rapid colonization may yield clearer water, but they bring many negative repercussions to our lake.

Why Should We Care About These Intruders?

Zebra mussels negatively impact native aquatic species, eventually affecting entire ecosystems. These bottom feeders can have detrimental effects on fish populations. They attach themselves to hard surfaces including crayfish, turtles, and native mollusks. Some mussels have been spotted with more than 10,000 zebra mussels adhered to them.

Zebra mussels clog storm drains, boat intakes, and even propellers as shown here.

As seen in the Great Lakes region, zebra mussels have created a filtering activity at such an amazing rate that the water looks much clearer. The assumption would be that the water is cleaner. Unfortunately, this is not true. In actuality, the more visible water (depleted of algae) leads to a food reduction for microscopic organisms. A large zebra mussel population can cause a decrease in other animals such as fish, mollusks, and birds. Unfortunately, the algae and animals consumed by zebra mussels are also the food for larval fish and other native species.

Wise has expressed concern of the impact of zebra mussels on the “Eurasian watermilfoil” a feathery foliage plant commonly seen in aquariums that has somehow made its way into Geist (possibly from people dumping contents of aquariums.) He says, “As zebra mussels make the water clearer, the sunlight penetrates the water easier causing the milfoil to grow deeper. I have seen boat propellers tangled up in the milfoil.”

Also, as this foliage continues to spread, fishermen will have a harder time as their hooks get entangled. Wise recalls one time when he was fishing: “My hook got caught up in a large piece of milfoil. As I pulled it out of the water, there were hundreds of zebra mussels dangling from it. It sounded like a bunch of Christmas lights clanking together.”

These organisms have already proved to be costly to water users and power plants that have spent millions of dollars cleaning them out of their facilities. Feeding on algae, the zebra mussels filter water via a siphon—about one liter a day! They also like to attach themselves to the insides of pipes in order to have a steady stream of water and food flowing near them. They can clog water intake pipes which is a concern since Indianapolis obtains drinking water from Geist.

Treatment for Clustering of Zebra Mussels

“It’s amazing just how ‘explosive’ the growth rate has gotten in just a couple of years,” says Dave Irish, board member of the Geist Lake Coalition. “The problem will continue to grow ‘exponentially’ to a point that nobody really knows what all issues they will create or how to fix the problems until it is too late and permanent damage has been done.”

Although some chemicals can kill zebra mussels, they would also destroy other forms of life in the lake. Removal of these invaders has been done by mechanical scrapers, air, hot water, chemicals, and sound. New methods are currently being investigated. Unfortunately, there is not one perfect solution for all affected facilities and situations. Irish comments, “It doesn’t really matter if they’re at the bottom of the lake or attached to the top of a log, the zebra mussels are there and don’t appear to be going away!”

Five-Day Drying or Hot-Water Cleaning

Now that the zebra mussels have invaded our lake, one thing we can do is help to prevent the spreading of these aggressive species into other bodies of water such as Morse and Eagle Creek Reservoirs which have not been affected yet.

“We need to be careful not to transport these mussels from one lake to another,” says Scott Rodgers, Steering Committee Chair of Geist Fall Creek Watershed Alliance and VP & Co-Founding Director of Geist Lake Coalition. He continues, “These mussels are like hitchhikers in that they attach themselves to the bilge or hull of the boats.” They can even plug up the water intake on the inboards and outboards.

“Boaters should allow their boats and trailers to dry for five days before entering another body of water,” says Doug Keller, DNR Aquatic Habitat Coordinator. “The zebra mussels and veligers (larvae stage) will not survive out of water past five days.” Keller recommends going to a carwash or power washing the hull and trailer and flushing out the motor with water at least 140 degrees. Furthermore, boat lifts and piers should be disinfected if they are removed from Geist and placed in another lake.

The water in Geist may appear clearer to some this summer. Keller believes, “This may be due to a combination of both the lack of rainfall with no more nutrients and sediments coming into the lake and the two years of zebra mussels colonizing.”

With regards to helping preserve Geist Lake, Rodgers recommends, “We should all help support our legislators on clean water initiatives including those from an individual standpoint.”

Fishers Freedom Festival: Celebrating Americanism and Community Appreciation

Jennifer Kehl, Executive Director of the Fishers Freedom Festival, is preparing for the 19th annual community event.

The phrase “Fishers Freedom Festival” conjures up images of happy children getting their faces painted, beautiful crafts being displayed, and flamboyant fireworks illuminating the sky. For Fishers residents and beyond, this hopping, action-packed, two day event symbolizes continuous entertainment with fun things to do in the summertime such as the 5K Fun Run & Walk, Disc Dog Competition and Children’s Parade. Besides putting smiles on our faces, this festival undoubtedly accomplishes another feat—it connects the members of our community all year round.

“We try to have something for everyone,” says Jennifer Kehl, Executive Director of the Fishers Freedom Festival. “Almost everything is free. Anybody at any income level can come out and enjoy the day and participate in the activities.” Jennifer has served as the Executive Director for 19 years.

“Jennifer is a pretty amazing individual. We all have a personal tie to her,” says Don Dragoo, President of the Board of Directors of the Fishers Freedom Festival Committee and Parade Coordinator. “She’s always looking to expand the Freedom Festival membership into other involvements for two reasons: 1) to keep events continuing and 2) to run them in an efficient manner so that we have funds to invest into future events.

Jennifer Kehl and Kym Greiner go over volunteer assignments for the June 23-24 festival.

Dragoo was among the volunteers who were present at the very first Fishers Freedom Festival twenty-four years ago. In celebrating Independence Day, a few volunteers organized a one-day event with a parade, some children’s games and a community picnic. It was so popular that the tradition continued and has grown to represent the epitome of a close-knit community.

How Did Her Involvement Begin?

One summer back in 1990, Jennifer had a friend who needed help with drawing posters for the Parades. This friend, Brenda Berding, happened to be the former Executive Director of the Fishers Festival. Eventually, Jennifer expanded her volunteer efforts to obtaining more sponsorships and donations. After her friend, (Berding) moved to Michigan, Jennifer became the new Executive Director. She recalls, “My work evolved into finding more sponsorships and dollars and trying to grow with the town and meet the needs of this community…When I first began helping with the Fishers Festival, this area was a transient town but now represents a more stabilized area where people are staying for longer periods of time and establishing a sense of community.”

“Jennifer is such an incredible person,” says her assistant, Kym Greiner. She continues, “Year after year she dedicates herself to making sure the Fishers community has a wonderful, family-friendly festival experience. We are extremely fortunate to have Jennifer as our Executive Director. Her level of expertise is unrivaled and her passion for what she does is evident day after day.”

The Kiddie Run is for kids ages 9 and under. All participants will receive a commemorative prize and a free t-shirt.

Festival Highlights

The 24th Annual Fishers Freedom Festival will offer amazing fun on June 23rd – June 24th. There will be 130 crafters, 30 food vendors and 100 business vendors present. The Children’s Tent will offer face painting, temporary tattoos, and all kinds of crafts. Also, K-ID’s BMV will be on site to make personalized kids ID’s for free.

The younger children can watch the puppet show and balloon art in the Park Building. As for the older kids, (12 and up) there will be a climbing wall, water balloon launch and bungee trampoline. After 6:00pm on both Sat. and Sun., everyone can enjoy listening to RadioNOW (100.9) with a live DJ, dancing and free giveaways.

On Sunday, beginning at 8:30am, a non-denominational church service will take place. There will be a 10:00 am children’s parade sponsored by Aarons Inc. and a 4:00 pm parade funded by XFINITY. On Saturday “Whiskey Biscuits” will perform from 6:30 pm-10 pm and Sunday, “Big Daddy Caddy” will play from 6:30 pm to dusk followed by a fireworks display.

Canned goods or new toys will be collected to support our local pantries. Over 300 volunteers are still needed for this occasion. All ages are welcome to help (12 and up.)

Other Events Throughout the Year

The Fishers Festival Committee plans for so much more than just the two-day jubilee in June. This organization has scheduled other exciting dates throughout the year. As with all events, volunteers are still needed and canned goods/new toys will be collected for local pantries.

Here are some of the other worthwhile events/programs:

• Firefighter Combat Challenge

IU Saxony Hospital presents the first regional Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge (FCC) on August 3rd (5:00pm-11:00pm) and August 4th (9:00am-4:00pm) at Roy Holland Park. The main purpose of this national event is to highlight the skills, talent, and bravery of our American firefighters while promoting an exciting sports competition. This regional event draws interest from the news media, such asESPN, to help promote capturing positive stories within our community. Spectator attendance is estimated to reach between 5,000-10,000 people throughout the competition.

www.fishersfirefighterchallenge.com

• Aaron’s Kids Combat Challenge

The FCC will also host a miniature version of the adult physical fitness/firefighter competition for kids (ages 4-11yrs old.) This is an exciting day for kids to dress up in fire attire and get to spray the hose. Signups will be held at 9:00am on Sat. (Aug 3rd) The Aaron’s Kids Combat Challenge will be held at Roy Holland Park. Various craft, food and entertainment vendors will be present.

• Fishers Oktoberfest @ Saxony

If you appreciate German food and live entertainment, arts and crafts, then you won’t want to miss the Fishers Oktoberfest @ Saxony. This fun-filled day will be held on Saturday, September 22nd from 12:00pm to 10:00pm at Witten Park (13257 Saxony Blvd.) There will be something for everyone including games and activities for the kids and a beer garden for the adults.

• Oct Craft Show

The Oct Craft Show is like celebrating “Christmas in October” with over 150 juried arts & craft vendors. This event will be held at Fishers High School from 9:00am-3:00pm on October 13th. Food sales will benefit the school’s PTO and proceeds from the raffle will support the “Roy Holland Backpack for Kids” program. Shoppers who bring either canned goods or new toys will receive $1.00 off admission price.

• Roy Holland Backpack for Kids Program

In honor of Roy Holland, this new program was launched in 2000 to help supply HSE students in need of backpacks and school supplies. Any children living within Hamilton Southeastern School district and needing a backpack (even if they are home-schooled or attend a school outside the district,) may go to their home school and request one. So far, over 3,000 backpacks have been distributed. Fishers committee will be collecting materials during the Fishers Freedom Festival. Items can be dropped off at the Food Drive Tent or placed in any of the grocery carts throughout the park.

Fishers Festival: A Not for Profit Organization

Many may not realize that the Fishers Festival is an independent organization, separate from the Town of Fishers and the Fishers Chamber of Commerce. This not-for-profit group operates on a budget of $269,000 to orchestrate the festival and other events. All financial support stems from sponsorships, fundraising, booth space rentals, grants and contributions from nearby area businesses and residents. Donations are always welcome and can be mailed to: P.O. Box 930 Fishers, IN 46038. To receive additional information, call the Festival Hot Line at 317-595-3195.

The Director Behind the Scenes

Jennifer Kehl is a Certified Festival Events Executive (CFEE) who works continuously to help make Fishers the best community possible. She is married to George Kehl, Chief of Fishers Police. Together they have two sons, Greg, (27) and Geoffrey (23). They are proud grandparents to Waylon (9) and Kloey (4.) During her spare time Jennifer enjoys scuba diving with her family.

When asked about her time commitment and executive role, Jennifer concludes, “As a director, there’s a lot of planning and a lot of work; yet when I see the kids smiling and having fun at the festival, it’s definitely all worth it.”

Mission and Lasting Purpose

The mission of the Fishers Freedom Festival is to encourage fellowship through civic partnerships and citizen involvement by creating a safe environment, developing needed community services, promoting family integrity and striving to improve the quality of life for every Fishers resident by investing in human potential.

Although this mission statement may have initially focused on the two-day festival itself, it now inevitably encompasses all the events that are promoted year-round.

Dragoo sums up the mission of the Fishers Freedom Festival when he says, “We’re trying to create warm and fuzzy memories of a small town atmosphere in a spreading community…We’re trying to generate and heighten community involvement and appreciation of our town.”

www.fishersfreedomfestival.org

email: freedomfestival@sbcglobal.net

Volunteers Always Needed & Welcome

If you are new to the area and would like to get out and meet your neighbors, please consider volunteering to help at any of the Fishers Freedom Festival events held throughout the year. Helping at any of these occasions is an excellent way to give back to the community while forming new relationships, including students needing to earn service hours. The Fishers Festival Committee also invites your original input and/or suggestions for enhancing any of its seasonal events.