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AYS

Central Indiana Before and Afterschool Programs

3rd Annual Lights On Luncheon

3rd Annual Lights On Luncheon raises $28,000 so more families can afford AYS programs

Robbin, the AYS parent featured in the video above, shared her personal story during our 3rd Annual Lights On Luncheon fundraiser earlier this month. She summed up her gratitude for her AYS experience this way:

“I just want to send out a big thank you to the AYS support staff and the donors for making this possible for my daughter to attend the AYS programs. I couldn’t do it without you. I appreciate it. Thank you.”

Robbin is one of the many working parents who benefit from the Ellen Clippinger Financial Assistance Fund. Our Oct. 3 Lights On Luncheon gave this fund a tremendous boost – to the tune of $28,000.

More than 180 sponsors and guests made this contribution to the fund possible. Attendees filled the room at The Willows on Westfield in Indianapolis, and heard from our President/CEO Chrystal Struben, AYS Program Director (and former AYS parent) Brandon Washington, and RTV6 News Anchor Rafael Sanchez. AYS students from Decatur Township welcomed luncheon attendees with song and helped as pencil boxes and picnic baskets were sold. We even had a game of “heads or tails” that ended with one attendee winning a vacation stay anywhere in the United States!

Robbin is not alone in saying that it would be a “stretch” to fully afford AYS’ high-quality before- and after-school care. This $28,000 will go a long way toward ensuring that even more children get help with their homework, a healthy snack, exercise and access to community service projects and STEM activities. The proceeds from the luncheon will allow about 32 children to attend AYS before and after school for half of a school year.

We’d like to thank the luncheon’s title sponsor, Teachers Credit Union, for backing us in a big way again this year. And we were so grateful to have the Lumina Foundation join us as a Gold Sponsor for the first time. Our Lights On Luncheon – which is part of a nationwide effort to remind everyone why it’s important to “keep the lights on” after school gets out – just keeps getting better and better, with more and more money raised for families in need.

We echo Robbin in saying, we couldn’t do it without you.

You can always donate to the Ellen Clippinger Financial Assistance Fund by going here.