The 11th Annual Rock The Night For Special Needs event at the Atrium at 3143 Thompson Road in Indianapolis is sold out, but community members may still donate to the organization to continue its mission of supporting people with special needs.
The Rock the Night event is hosted by the Anna’s Celebration of Life Foundation, which provides life-enhancing gifts to Indiana children with special needs, including autism, cerebral palsy, Downs Syndrome and much more. The gifts are intended to improve the quality of life for the recipient or to provide treatment within the state.
According to the organization, “Anna’s Celebration of Life is a foundation that was inspired by a young Anna Molloy, a little girl born with a rare genetic disorder who wanted to ensure that other children with special needs were afforded the joy of celebrating their specialness.”
The events and gifts through the organization are focused around giving the gift of specialness, and the organization helps nearly 100 kids every year. The organization allows for the community to sponsor a gift for a child from Indiana with special needs, and donations of $100 to the organization during Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, will be entered into Anna’s Rockin’ Raffle, which awards the winner with $10,000 on Dec. 2.
One of the largest fundraisers, which has sold out for this year, is the “Rock The Night For Special Needs” event taking place this Saturday. According to the organizers, 500 attendees are expected to celebrate rock & roll on the southside of Indianapolis for its largest fundraiser of the year for its eleventh iteration.
“This memorable evening of festivities will include a dual-entree dinner buffet, dancing to the hits (then & now) with DJ Chase Steinbrunner and a tribute to Elton John and the 50th anniversary of ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ and much, much more,” the organizers wrote.
The event will also sport a live auction that closes this Saturday, including 100 different packages that range from small gifts to weekend vacations. Some of the items placed in the auction are a one-of-a-kind IndyCar experience, a weekend getaway in a condo in Pensacola, Florida, a team-autographed Indianapolis Colts football helmet, tickets to see the Colts take on the Texans and much more. The auction closes at 9:15 p.m. this Saturday, and potential bidders may start exploring the packages by texting “ANNAS23” to 76278 or visiting Annas23.givesmart.com.
Last year, the organization raised $220,000 through its events and donations with over 120 sponsors. Events will kick off for the 2024 season next year around May, and the Anna’s Celebration of Excellence Awards will be distributed in the near future to honor individuals and companies for their work with Indiana kids with special needs.
The gifts sponsored through the organizations include tablets utilized for communication, trikes for
mobility and play and many other pieces of equipment intended to improve the quality of life for the recipients. More information about past recipients may be found on the Anna’s Celebration of Life Foundation website.
According to the organization, the gifts are not based on medical necessity, but those with medically necessary accomodations will receive priority through the organization. The foundation does require the recipient to provide a prescription or recommendation by a doctor, nurse, therapist, social worker, educator or other qualified individual.
For more information, visit acolf.org.