Jacob’s Ladder Raises Money, Thrills Guests With Murder Mystery Extravaganza

On Thursday, Jacob’s Ladder Pediatric Rehab Center hosted their first ever Murder Mystery Extravaganza at the WaterBird Banquet Center in Chesterton. The evening featured a fully interactive murder mystery event that delighted around 120 attendees who were on hand to support Jacob’s Ladder.

The extravaganza was Jacob’s Ladder’s Fall Fundraiser and helped the not-for-profit raise money for the support of their mission to give hope to families of special children. Currently, over 600 children from Lake, La Porte and Porter counties depend on Jacob’s Ladder every week for the therapy that they need.

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“Many of our kids and families came out this evening to greet our friends and guests,” said Candace Arvin, Director of Marketing at Jacob’s Ladder. “We wanted to do something different so we brought in the Dinner Detectives, which are an acting group out of Chicago that came highly recommended. We wanted it to be something new and exciting and with Halloween fast approaching we thought what better way to engage our donors and team build with our staff. We really wanted to give our donors a night of Chicago entertainment so we brought Chicago to them.”

Abbie Leal and her daughter Ava were on hand greeting those who came out to enjoy dinner and all the excitement and mystery the evening brought.

“We just started working with Jacob’s Ladder about a month ago,” Leal said. “They’re awesome! They make everything so comfortable and they make you feel like family. We have been very pleased so far.”

Many of Jacob’s Ladder children are battling a range of conditions like cerebral palsy, down syndrome, spina bifida, autism and cancer, while some remain undiagnosed and still many more have more than one diagnosis. The mission and vision of Jacob’s Ladder is for all special children in Northwest Indiana to receive the comprehensive therapy and care they need to reach their full potential, and for their families to feel fully supported and empowered.

“The staff at Jacob’s Ladder does some amazing things,” said Board Chairman Scott Casbon, from First Merchants Bank. “They put in endless hours and to all the staff, on behalf of the board, we really thank you for everything you do.”

Executive Director and Founder, Mariann Frigo spoke about founding and the mission behind Jacob’s Ladder.

“We started Jacob’s Ladder when my son Jacob graduated from First Steps and I couldn’t find services anywhere,” Frigo said. “At three years old he was not able to get any services and because of that, as an occupational therapist, I know he could build and reach more milestones and out of that we built Jacob’s Ladder. How we came to be where we are today is through encouraging, educating and empowering the families. For many of our families their children will be with them past the ages of eighteen and they’ll need parenting past those years. Our main goal is to help parents feel successful at what they’re doing.”

Around the room at the WaterBird were many rubber ducks that bore special significance at this evenings event. Each duck represented a Jacob’s Ladder child on a waiting list and the therapy sessions that he/she needs to grow and reach their full potential. Each duck was for sale at the price of $25 which directly pays to off-set the cost for what therapy Medicaid doesn’t provide for.

To make a donation or learn more about Jacob’s Ladder, go to: http://www.jacobskids.org/