Why These Sponsors Keep Saying Yes to IBCF

By: Seth Johnson

The image shows a preschool classroom during group story time. An older woman with gray hair, glasses, and a name tag sits near the center, holding up a large picture book so the children can follow along. Several children sit on a soft, light-colored rug facing her, some with their backs visible and different hair colors, including brown and bright red. In front of the reader, there is a wooden storage unit with many small clear bins, each holding colorful classroom materials. To the lower right, a boy in a wheelchair with a black and silver frame and large rear wheels is positioned next to a young woman who is leaning close to him, helping or engaging with him while he participates. Behind them is a low wooden bookshelf filled with many children’s books whose covers face outward. On the wall in the upper left, a blue fabric chart with yellow trim hangs, with several small white labels attached in rows. The overall scene shows children and adults gathered closely and calmly around the storyteller in a cozy classroom setting.For Bosma Enterprises, the Terry Lee Foundation, and VisionQuest Eyecare, sponsoring the 2026 Through the Looking Glass (TTLG) Gala comes with a heartfelt belief in the mission of the Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation (IBCF).

As the 2026 TTLG Keynote Speaker Sponsor, VisionQuest Eyecare has employees who are on the 2026 TTLG Gala Committee, including Dr. Anjali Palvia Shah. Before joining the VisionQuest Eyecare team, Shah worked as an optometrist with low vision patients, making the mission of IBCF one that she’s quite passionate about.

“The mission of IBCF is close to my heart,” Shah says. “I spent a lot of time with veterans in my early optometrist days in the West Haven VA Medical Center. So it was a big part of my early time as an optometrist. It was a natural gateway for me to have a heart for what the Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation does.”

Like Shah, Katie Rogers has enjoyed serving on the TTLG Gala Committee, finding the mission of IBCF to be one she can relate to firsthand. Having worked as a vision therapist at VisionQuest Eyecare for two-and-a-half years, she is especially excited that her employer is helping to bring 2026 TTLG Gala Keynote Speaker Kristin Smedley to the event.

"I heard this year's gala keynote speaker speak previously, and I had tears in my eyes as she talked about her sons who have vision impairments," Rogers says. "I just thought, 'Wow. That's amazing.'"

A formal group photo on a red carpet. It shows eight adults posing in two rows in front of a dark backdrop covered with repeating white logos and text, including “TERRY LEE,” “DIAMONDS DIRECT,” and several circular emblem-style logos. Everyone is dressed in formal evening wear: the men are in suits or tuxedos in dark colors with dress shirts and ties, and the women are wearing long dresses in black, floral, and light blue patterns. They are standing closely together, smiling toward the camera.

After helping to fund a re-envisioned preschool program at Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI) as the 2025 TTLG Gala Education Match Sponsor, the Terry Lee Foundation has again come on to be the TTLG Gala Education Match Sponsor for 2026, this time helping raise funds for family engagement programs at ISBVI and throughout Indiana.

Having now had a chance to visit the new preschool classroom at ISBVI that he helped make possible, Terry Lee says he is thrilled with the result of his 2025 giving.

"I met one of the teachers who walked me through what all they do and how they interact with the kids,” Lee says. “It was amazing to see the different things they had set up for the kids to get a better feel through light and touch. All the different textures of things that were in the room were impressive too.”

With a passion for ISBVI that stems from his mother’s work as a dorm parent at the school, Lee says he really looks forward to attending IBCF’s Gala every year now.

“I always look forward to it — it’s one of my favorite functions,” Lee says. “I do a lot of charity events, but this one always has a special feel.”

The photo shows a woman with shoulder-length gray hair, glasses, a dark short‑sleeve shirt, and light jeans standing near low wooden cabinets, speaking and gesturing with both hands. In front of her, there are small preschool-sized tables and chairs, with colorful toys placed on the tables and on a low shelving unit. Three adults stand together farther back in the classroom near a carpeted area, facing the woman who is speaking. One wears a white shirt and tan pants, another a blue shirt, and another a black top with dark pants. The classroom has light-colored walls and ceiling, wooden doors and cabinets, and a patterned rug on the floor.

Serving as the 2026 TTLG Gala Student Engagement Area Sponsor, Bosma Enterprises will help bring a Student Engagement Area to life, featuring handmade ceramic pumpkins crafted by ISBVI students. These unique pieces of student-made art will then be available for purchase, with funds being raised to support IBCF’s mission.

Having sponsored the TTLG Gala in previous years, Bosma Enterprises Director of Community Engagement Anthony Scott says the organization chose to increase its sponsorship commitment in 2026, knowing how closely the missions of Bosma Enterprises and IBCF align.

“Our mission is to create opportunities for people who are blind, and that can go very broadly, so we’re honored to be working with the Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation,” Scott says. “I wanted to increase our level of partnership because one of our strategic goals this year is to support the community, so I thought this was a great opportunity. Our missions align in many ways, so it seemed like an obvious choice.”

Having attended previous TTLG Galas, Scott says he always looks forward to the event’s keynote speaker each year, with 2026 being no exception.

“You guys bring in some really good speakers, so it’s really an inspiring event,” he says.

The photo features three people standing in front of a large balloon arch. The balloon arch is made of clusters of balloons arranged in multiple curved bands: pale blue on the outer sides, then red, then a band of off‑white or cream balloons, with more red balloons around the inner area. At the bottom left and right of the arch, there are decorative starburst shapes made from long, pointed red and white balloons.

The 2026 Through the Looking Glass Gala, presented by Eye Surgeons of Indiana, will take place on Saturday, October 24th, at the state-of-the-art and stylish Embassy Suites by Hilton Noblesville Conference Center. Follow the link below to purchase tickets today! Sponsorships are also available. Contact Laura Alvarado, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., to learn more.

A graphic reads “Thank You 2026 Through the Looking Glass Gala Sponsors!” across the top. Below this text, there are logos for Eye Surgeons of Indiana, Regions Bank, VisionQuest, Terry Lee Foundation, Bosma Enterprises, Midwest Eye Institute, Abrams EyeCare, Lauth Family Foundation, IU School of Medicine – Department of Ophthalmology, First Financial Bank, 20/20 Eye Physicians of Indiana, Whitewater Eye Centers Bausch + Lomb, Huntington Bank, Wilhelm Construction, A Taste of Indiana, Ankawa Fine Jewelry, Napttown Floral, The GOAT, Cunningham Restaurant Group, Anthony's Chophouse, John Bramblitt, Tactive, Savor, Daniel's Vineyard, Mike Clayton - Bourbon Aficionado, Monterey Coastal Cuisine, and Shake Up Cocktails. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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