A Night to Remember!

For the second year in a row, Morning Light’s annual fundraiser was set against the stunning lakeside backdrop of The Conservatory at Evergreen. This year felt special from the beginning. The room filled with people who had attended from across the state for a mission that matters.

An event like this brings together a sense of fun, socializing, and even celebration, while framing the deeper meaning. On every table were tea lights, and around the room, across the main stage, were 1000 in total. Every single one was a life served, a person who had their own story, one that Morning Light was honored to assist through their final days. There is a fitting poignancy in knowing that their memory is central to the event that will fuel Morning Light’s ability to reach that next light, that next person in need of a safe and loving home, amid the turmoil of a terminal illness diagnosis.

As the evening unfolded, there was a shared sense of purpose, and looking around the room, you could see new faces sitting alongside longtime supporters. Some had discovered Morning Light for the first time that evening; others have walked this journey with us for years. Hospice partners, volunteers, families, and friends, each person bringing their own connection, their own reason for being there.

Talented journalist Emily Longnecker led the proceedings with warmth and intention and described her own connection to Morning Light through our Making Memories Program, where a dear former resident, Ginni, wished to meet her and talk politics and Pennsylvania! Madison Wood-Gonzalez, Morning Light’s Executive Director, co-hosted, and together, they created a space where each moment had time to land, where stories could be heard, and where the mission of Morning Light could be fully felt.

The main speaker of the evening came through Ruthann Harp, who shared a deeply moving testimony about her late husband, Dan, and his final days in the care of the Morning Light Home. 

You could feel the room shift as she spoke. Her story grounded the evening in the path she and her husband of 53 years had walked. She cared for him to the point of physical and mental exhaustion until she found Morning Light through her hospice nurse. 

Once Dan was settled at the Morning Light Home she found herself able to recharge as a wife and mother, and to be present through the final few months she had with her funny and incredibly caring husband. Not to mention they also had a special VIP Making Memories trip to the watch the Fever women’s basketball team, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, through Morning Light’s Making Memories Program.

Of course, we’d like to highlight the sublime music of the quartet from Arts With a Purpose, led by Morning Light’s good friend, Kathy Morris. They gave the evening its soundtrack and atmospheric heart. From Coldplay to classical, to show tunes and cinematic pieces, their incredible talents shaped the atmosphere and brought people together.

As plates passed between friends, glasses were raised, laughter filled the ever-popular cake walk, conversations circled around the silent auction, and old acquaintances reconnected. It was wonderful to see so many people united in the belief that the difficult work of end-of-life care can unite a community, and that we can celebrate a philosophy which Morning Light embodies: the value of every life, how precious each day is, and it was truly inspiring to see the greater community coming together to joyfully support a mission that matters to thousands of individuals in need. 

The Conservatory at Evergreen proved to be a perfect home for Night Light, for one magical evening, all in support of those we serve and as we reflect on the night, we are filled with gratitude. To our generous sponsors, dessert partners, and supporters, thank you for helping make the evening possible.

To Ruthann Harp for her courage and honesty.
To Emily Longnecker for guiding the evening.
And to every staff member and volunteer who worked behind the scenes to bring it all together.

Night Light is never just an event. It is a reflection of what can happen when a community comes together with compassion, purpose, and heart. And this year, more than ever, that light shone brightly.

This year, we raised over $41,000 in donations, sponsorships, auction items, and ticket sales. An incredible amount that goes straight to the immediate need for respite care and home support.

We are filled with gratitude and determination to ‘be the light’ at the end of the tunnel for terminally ill individuals in our great state of Indiana, those in desperate need of love, care, and a true forever home.