Vegas Fight Night
Last year’s Vegas Fight Night was the buzz around Indianapolis! The event was featured in Cathy Kightlinger’s Talk of the Town column in the Indianapolis Star (see article below this post) and even hit the “Best of 2010 Parties List” also featured in the Star. The “sold out” event was a smashing success and raised a $95,000 for the Christamore House! These funds are critical considering the current financial state of the House.
In case you missed the details here are a few. The glitzy Conrad was the backdrop for the inaugural Vegas Fight Night. The Christamore House/Indy Pal Club youth boxers, along with Coaches Marcus Chapman and Ike Boyd, as well as numerous volunteers spent four hours constructing a full sized boxing ring in the middle of the ballroom. It was truly a “knock out”! The focal points of the evening were four sparing sessions where the youth boxers from the Christamore House showcased not only their boxing moves, but their dedication and passion for the Christamore House and the programs and outlets for youth that it provides.
Other highlights included Master of Ceremonies Big Joe Staysniak from WIBC TheFan, Colts Cheerleaders who acted as ring girls during the boxing, and attendance by prominent Hoosiers including Ashley Manning and Elaine Mellencamp. The Mellencamp family generously supported the event by donating a guitar signed by John and tickets to his concert at Hinkle Fieldhouse to the live auction. Their son Hud Mellencamp was one of the boxers featured during the event. Finally, the entire Christamore House Guild deserves a special thank you for their support of the event. The ladies of the Guild truly out did themselves with generous donations to the auction, attendance at the event, and countless volunteer hours to turn such an extraordinarily unique concept into a reality!
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Christamore House Guild gala’s punch helps keep agency alive
By Cathy Kightlinger, cathy.kightlinger@indystar.com
November 14, 2020
Table 11 was the one stargazers kept their eyes on at the 36th annual Christamore House Guild gala.
That’s where former supermodel Elaine Irwin-Mellencamp and Ashley Manning sat shoulder-to-shoulder. They were on hand Nov. 6 without their famous husbands, rocker John Mellencamp, who just kicked off a tour, and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
Among those joining them were Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Chris Lytle and local stylistsEmmett Cooper and Naieem Abdool.
Christamore’s first-ever boxing-themed gala was chaired by Lynne Bir and Molly Sturman. About 300 people attended the event, called Vegas Fight Night. It showcased (and raised $10,000 for) the Christamore House’s Indy Police Athletic League boxing program. Irwin-Mellencamp’s son, Hud, a two-time Indiana Junior Golden Gloves champion and a three-time Indiana Junior Olympic champion, trains there.
The annual gala is usually a more traditional black-tie dinner-and-dancing fundraiser. This year, attendees dressed in glitzy Vegas-style attire and partied around a boxing ring in the ballroom at the Conrad Indianapolis.
By the night’s end, some party guests, including guild members Jill Huse and Sue Welch, kicked off their shoes (a pretty pair of Chanel Mary Janes among them) and climbed into the ring to spar with boxing coach Marcus Chapman.
The Manning household got a new acoustic guitar, too, because Ashley bid $3,000 for the instrument, signed by Mellencamp. That auction item also came with a pair of tickets to Mellencamp’s show at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
In addition to money for the boxing program, the gala raised an estimated $55,000 to $60,000 for the Christamore House. That money, plus another $95,000 donated before the event, means the Haughville social services agency has enough to continue operating this year and start anew in 2011. That was a concern last month when Christamore House officials announced they were laying off seven employees and reducing services.
At that time, they said they needed $200,000 to keep going. But now the financial outlook is brighter because of the donations, budget cuts and volunteers who are keeping services intact, said Tina Sullivan, interim executive director.
Irwin-Mellencamp supported the fundraising efforts by dancing late into the night during the event’s after-party.
Richard Gorham, an amateur boxer who refereed some exhibitions at the gala, said the Indianapolis PAL boxing program helps youth set goals in their life.
“It keeps me focused,” said Gorham, 29. “It keeps me out of trouble.”
Christamore House to Host Inaugural
‘Vegas Fight Night’
INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ — The Christamore House Guild is pleased to announce the inaugural Christamore Vegas Fight Night, a charity event which will showcase a sanctioned boxing tournament highlighting the Christamore House Boxing Program.
The “Vegas Fight Night” will feature nationally ranked amateur boxers in the Central Indiana area, including Hudd Mellencamp, (son of Elaine and John Mellencamp) Marcus D. Chapman, Andres Valdez and others.
The “Vegas Fight Night” event will be held at the Conrad Hotel in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday, November 6th from 6PM to 11PM. The evening’s festivities will include a dinner, silent and live auctions, as well as the main event. Guests are encouraged to wear fun glitzy “Vegas attire.”
Big Joe Staysniak of WIBC (1070 The Fan) will act as Master of Ceremonies with a special guest appearance by the Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders.
Proceeds from this event will help fund general operations of the Christamore House, which facilitates life-improving programs in the near-downtown community of Haughville, as well as provide funding for the Christamore House Boxing Program. Founded in 1955, the Christamore House Boxing Program motto is “Sweating in the gym, rather than bleeding in the streets.”
For more information on sponsorship, or attending the event please contact Lynne Bir 317.695.7142 or Molly Sturman @ 317.626.0966.
