Angel Fund Gala

The Angel Fund Gala took place on Friday, March 3, 2023. Thank you to all who attended in support of Indiana Donor Network Foundation.

Check back for details about the 2024 gala here.

Check back for details about the 2024 gala here.

2023 Angel Fund Gala

Friday, March 3, 2023

Biltwell Event Center 950 S. White River Parkway W. Drive Indianapolis, IN 46221 Map

Hosted by

Nikki Reed, Living kidney donor and radio personality on the 99.5 ZPL Smiley Morning Show

Table sponsorship includes registration for eight guests, premier seating during the program and sponsorship signage.

Attire for the event is formal, black tie optional.

6:30 pm

Hors d’Oeuvres and Cocktails

7:15 pm

Dinner and Entertainment

8:15 pm

Program

9:00 pm

Live Music by the Dueling Pianos

Silent auction 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

For your convenience, hotel rooms are available at the Bottleworks Hotel for the Indiana Donor Network Angel Fund Gala. For more information or to book a hotel room, click here.
In order to receive the discounted rate, please book by Feb. 3.

2023 Champions for Donation

Champions for Donation are individuals and organizations undertaking exceptional efforts to advance organ and tissue donation and transplantation, either through direct clinical work or advocacy on behalf of the mission of Indiana Donor Network.

Their continued dedication to saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation is truly outstanding. We are excited to celebrate the 2023 class of Champions for Donation at this year’s Angel Fund Gala.

Indiana Funeral Directors Association

Under the leadership of Executive Director and CEO Andy Clayton, CFSP

The mission of the Indiana Funeral Directors Association is to enable its members and their staff to identify and proactively address their professional needs.

The organization was founded in 1880 by 47 charter members. Today, the IFDA has grown to more than 480 member firms. Headquartered in Indianapolis, the IFDA provides membership services and continuing education opportunities throughout the state.

The IFDA is dedicated to recognizing critical issues within funeral service and providing appropriate solutions to those issues. It strives to be the preeminent funeral service advocate before governmental agencies, consumer groups and suppliers. The IFDA provides educational opportunities that enhance professionalism in its membership. It serves as a professional and ethical information resource, providing members with timely and relevant assistance.

Under the leadership of Andy Clayton, the IFDA has amplified communication and collaboration with Indiana Donor Network to increase tissue donation. This collaboration has resulted in education and process improvement initiatives shared with 692 funeral directors across the state in 2022. As a result, 80 IFDA members joined Indiana Donor Networks Funeral Hope Partnership Program, which aims to increase donation from funeral home referrals.

David Andrew “Andy” Clayton is the executive director and CEO of the Indiana Funeral Directors Association. 

He is a past president of the IFDA; current advisory board member of the mortuary science program at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis; and past member of the governor-appointed Indiana State Board of Funeral and Cemetery Service. In 2022, he was recognized as a “Distinguished Hoosier” by Gov. Eric Holcomb for service to all Hoosiers during the recent COVID public health emergency. 

Prior to his role at the IFDA, Clayton was a funeral director with Flanner & Buchanan Mortuaries for 18 years. In 2013, he began his role as the executive vice president of nine funeral homes with Wilson St. Pierre Funeral Service. Clayton earned a mortuary science degree and political science degree from Indiana University and holds several professional funeral service certifications. 

The Honorable Blake Doriot

Indiana State Senator for District 12

State Senator Blake Doriot represents District 12, which includes portions of Elkhart and Kosciusko counties.

Elected in 2016, Doriot serves as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Pensions and Labor and as a member of the Senate committees on agriculture, commerce and technology, homeland security and transportation, natural resources, utilities, and veterans affairs and the military.

He has a bachelor’s degree in construction from Purdue University and is the owner of B. Doriot & Associates Land Surveying.

He is also a Casa Elkhart County Caps member and a past grand knight for the Knights of Columbus. Doriot resides in Goshen and has three daughters, one son and six grandchildren.

Sen. Doriot co-authored a bill that requires the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to ask all hunters, anglers and trappers applying for their licenses if they wish to become organ donors. In 2020, that bill was signed into law, resulting in more than 1,200 Hoosiers saying “yes” to organ donation.

Kathy Langdon

District Coach for Physical Education and Health and Wellness
Indianapolis Public Schools

Kathy Langdon is the district coach for physical education and health and wellness for Indianapolis Public Schools. Langdon is also an online educator for Indiana Online Academy for Health.  

She has led the updating of the federal wellness policy in Indianapolis. Now, each school in the state’s largest district has a wellness team that continues to implement the district policy. 

Langdon implements programs in her schools by partnering with organizations like Donate Life Indiana. She is a member of several professional organizations, benefitting her field and the IPS curriculum.  

Prior to her career at IPS, Langdon worked in operations for McDonald’s for 21 years. Additionally, she has worked in the school system as a coach, physical education instructor, athletic director, and health and wellness program manager. She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health from Marian College and a master’s degree in K-12 administration from Indiana State University.  

Langdon has written into the IPS curriculum that all high school health classes require a presentation from Donate Life Indiana to fulfill the organ donation education mandate, resulting in thousands of additional students receiving accurate and impactful education about organ donation. 

Luke White, DO

Medical Director, Medical Critical Care Quality Improvement and Control
Beacon Health Systems

Dr. Luke White is the medical director for medical critical care quality improvement and control and intensivist for pulmonary and critical care at Beacon Health Systems. Previously, he was medical director of Beacon Medical Group pulmonary and critical care at Beacon Health.

Before joining Beacon Health, White completed a fellowship at the University of Southern California, where he was awarded chief fellow. He completed his residency at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West in 2010. White earned a master’s of business administration from Indiana University and a doctorate in osteopathic medicine from Midwestern University.

Dr. White was instrumental in launching the Indiana Donor Network bridging language program at Memorial Hospital in South Bend. This program aims to bridge the gap in care between end-of-life conversations with families of donor heroes and the donation process, resulting in more families saying “yes” to donation.

Indiana Donor Network Foundation created the Angel Fund in 2014 to provide assistance to transplant recipients who could not otherwise afford their medications. Now, the fund not only helps transplant recipients with a variety of expenses but also provides additional grief support to the families, specifically children, of donor heroes.

Helping Transplant Recipients

Transplant recipients have been given the gift of life, and they need to be able to sustain that gift. The Angel Fund provides needed financial assistance to those who cannot otherwise afford the medications required to keep them healthy. For more information on how Angel Fund supports transplant recipients, click here.

Donor Hero Camp

The Angel Fund supports the Indiana Donor Network Foundation Donor Hero Camp, which allows children related to donor heroes to attend a weeklong summer camp. Donor Hero Camp creates a space for children to be inspired to honor their loved ones, to learn team building and to experience hope and healing. For more information on Donor Hero Camp,
click here.

By joining us at our gala and/or donating directly to the Angel Fund, you’re helping to ensure transplant recipients stay healthy and granting donor family children access to the resources they need throughout their grief journey.
Thank you for your support.

Sponsorship Opportunities

By partnering with Indiana Donor Network Foundation for the Angel Fund Gala, your organization is directly supporting transplant recipients and the families of donor heroes. 

A sponsorship of this formal event will highlight your organization’s support in saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation to its audience of approximately 250 guests, including business and healthcare executives, clinicians and community partners.

If you are interested in a sponsorship  or a customized partnership to maximize your organization’s assets and exposure, please contact Savannah Scott at sscott2@INDonorNetwork.org or 317.222.3495. Details on each partnership level are available by clicking the “learn more” button below.

Thank You to Our 2023 Event Sponsors

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