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Rialzo returns: First charity gala since 2019 scheduled at a new location this spring

From The Star Press

MUNCIE — Rialzo, the fundraising gala for Meridian Health Services programs, is back after being put on hold for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rialzo XI will be May 14, at a new location this year, the Scheumann Indoor Practice Facility, next to Ball State University’s Scheumann Stadium.

Prior to its cancelation in 2020 and 2021, tickets for the black tie charity gala had routinely sold, and the event had raised more than $100,000 for various Meridian programs each year.

Meridian announced on Wednesday that this year’s event would have a Kentucky Derby theme, “Go, Baby, Go!,” with funds  raised to benefit the health provider’s addictions and recovery programs. In keeping with the theme, participants will be invited to attend in their best Derby fashions, and can vie for Best Dressed Couple and Best Hat awards.

During the gala, Gov. Eric Holcomb will be presented with the Meridian Health Services’ Rialzo XI Spirit of Meridian Award, which recognizes those whose actions promote healthier communities, according to the Meridian website.

The new venue will provide more space than the previous one at the Horizon Convention Center, allowing for social distancing COVID-19 protocols, Meridian noted in the announcement.

Tickets to attend the gala are $250; tables, raffle tickets and a commemorative coffee table book, “A Decade of Rialzo!,” also are available. For tickets, sponsorships or information, go to rialzo.meridianhs.org.