Rhyme & Reason is dedicated to ensuring that no member of the Michiana community is overlooked. As its mission states, Rhyme & Reason helps “those with emotional, behavioral, and social challenges make sense of their lives and find their purpose.” In support of that mission, Rhyme & Reason will host its fourth annual Help Us Spread Our Wings Fundraising Gala from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST on March 7th. This exciting event will be held at the recently constructed Indiana Dinosaur Museum in South Bend and is open to the public.
According to Andrew Kaser, Director of Social Program and Events at Rhyme & Reason, the Help Us Spread Our Wings event offers potential donors a special chance to engage with Rhyme & Reason's participants.
"The individuals we serve are often very isolated,” Kaser said. “We create social environments in which our participants can interact with each other, develop friendships, and build up a community. Our goal at the Help Us Spread Our Wings event will be to develop relationships with potential donors who understand our participants’ needs and want to support them. This gala is a great opportunity for those individuals to meet our participants, but we love the fact that it will also be a great opportunity for our participants to meet people who see them, believe in them, and care about them. It’s truly a win-win for everyone involved."
This year’s Help Us Spread Our Wings event, held at the Indiana Dinosaur Museum, will feature two guest speakers. The first speaker, Tom Severs, was born with cerebral palsy and has been in a wheelchair his entire life. Severs is the author of “Divine Coaster Chronicles,” an autobiography that recounts the triumphs and trials he has overcome.
The second speaker, Jennifer Weise, is the founder and CEO of BeeFree, a gluten-free, grain-free snack company that employs adults with disabilities. She got the idea for the company when she began searching for clean-label snacks for her son after he was diagnosed with autism and recognized the impact food has on his overall health and function.
The event will also feature food catered by The Public House. Rhyme & Reason participants will help serve food to the attendees. This is one way for both participants and potential donors to interact meaningfully. Attendees will also be able to participate in an auction that offers items donated by local businesses. Information about the cost of putting a single participant through a year’s worth of Rhyme & Reason events will be provided so potential donors can see how their donation will benefit the organization.
According to Kaser, the proceeds from the Help Us Spread Our Wings event will not only assist Rhyme & Reason with its immediate needs but will also help fund the organization's future endeavors.
“Our biggest dream,” Kaser said, “is the Rhyme & Reason Campus project. Although we have 84 acres of land secured, we currently function without a physical space, so the proceeds from the Help Us Spread Our Wings event will make our big dream of having a physical space a reality."
“We're all very excited for this event,” Kaser said. "We are excited to be at the Indiana Dinosaur Museum and to form new partnerships. We're really looking forward to seeing our individuals participate by serving and volunteering. This is an opportunity for us to literally "spread our wings" and show love to even more people in our community. I would like to leave this event knowing that we have effectively communicated the great work we are doing to others by sharing stories about the lives we are changing. We are looking forward to connecting with people who can give our dream some powerful momentum."
Individual tickets and table sponsorships for the 2025 Help Us Spread Our Wings Gala are available online now.
Please visit rhymeandreason.net to learn more about the Help Us Spread Our Wings event and to stay up to date on Rhyme & Reason’s other upcoming Social Program activities.