Jeff Vessely Sip, Savor, & Spend (JVSSS)
Our Club’s largest annual fundraiser is the Jeff Vessely Sip, Savor, & Spend (JVSSS). The money raised during the evening goes to support deserving activities and organizations in our community. By Kiwanis’ by-laws, all funds brought in from outside a club must return to the community. None may be spent on the club itself nor any activities that do not directly serve the community.
Kiwanis has a primary focus on helping children. Keeping with this focus, our primary beneficiary of money brought in during the evening is our Clothe-a-Child program. Clothe-a-Child allows us to take kids from low-income families to a major department store to get new clothes. Typically this program is during December, however when funds are available we have held a Back-to-School version prior to the Fall school term. The budget for this endeavor averages $4,000 for each event. This amount is dependent upon your generosity during the JVSSS. A special opportunity to give specifically to Clothe-a-Child will occur during the evening.
Other programs benefiting from your generous purchases and donations are:
- Service Leadership Programs (SLP) which are Kiwanis Clubs tailored for specific groups including:
- Aktion Clubs for the Developmentally Challenged
- K-Kids for elementary school students
- Builders Club for middle school students
- Key Club for high school students
- Backpack Attack – our annual purchase and distribution of school supplies
- Pike Homeless Initiative – our program to provide snacks to homeless students in Pike Township Schools
- Local Food Pantries
- Citizenship Awards – our annual non-scholastic cash awards to graduating seniors
- Our annual gift to the Riley Hospital for Children
- Our Thriving Community Grants Program where other deserving organizations serving our community can apply for direct monetary support from our Club
Jeff Vessely Sip, Savor, & Spend Overview
This terrific evening is filled with fun, fellowship, and two opportunities to bid on a variety of donated items. The first opportunity is through the Silent Auction, where you can browse through the item displays and outbid your fellow diners for these often-unique items. The second opportunity is the live auction, conducted following the delicious meal from the Country Club of Indianapolis. At the end of the evening, after settling up, you will be able to take your items home to enjoy!
Jeff Vessely Sip, Savor, & Spend Activities
The evening includes:
- A cash bar (one drink ticket for the bar is included with your purchased ticket)
- 50/50 and door prize raffle drawings
- Live Music by Slammer Jazz
- A buffet dinner
- Live & Silent Auctions
- Presentations on the Club, our sponsors, beneficiaries, and what we do for the community
Thank you to our 2026 Sponsors!
Platinum Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
NorthWest Financial Services
Dynamark Group’s PIP Printing
forvis
mazars
mazars
Jeff Vessely Sip, Savor, & Spend Sponsorship Opportunities
This year we offered the opportunity to sponsor the JVSSS. Sponsorship levels include Platinum, Gold, & Silver.
Platinum: $1000
- One year of advertising in club newsletter as a platinum sponsor with logo (Half Page (7.5" x 4.9")*
- 4 Tickets to Jeff Vessely Sip, Savor, & Spend (JVSSS)
- Logo recognition in JVSSS printed program
- Public recognition at JVSSS
Gold: $500
- Six months of advertising in club newsletter as a gold sponsor with logo (Quarter Page (3.6" x 4.9")*
- 2 tickets to JVSSS
- Logo recognition in JVSSS printed program
- Public recognition at JVSSS
Silver: $250
- Name recognition as sponsor in club newsletter
- Name recognition in JVSSS printed program
- Public recognition at JVSSS
* Advertisement provided by Sponsor as a PNG or maximum quality JPG file.
Some history of the JVSSS
Our participation in this event began in 2014, as a partnership between the Kiwanis Club of Northwest Kiwanis and the Kiwanis Club of Meridian Hills. As time passed, our Club assumed a more dominant role, until taking over entirely in 2016. During this transition, Dr. Jeff Vessely brought his wit and auctioneering skills to the event. After his passing, the duties have been shared by other Club members and outside auctioneers. Our Masters of Ceremony have included such local media figures as Rachel Bogle, Abdul-Hakim Shabazz, Katiera Winfrey, and this year’s Russ McQuaid. Of note, we managed to have the 2020 JVSSS before the pandemic lockdowns. The 2021 event successfully happened virtually. Getting past the lockdowns, we returned to our traditional live format.
A word about the event’s namesake, Jeff Vessely
Jeff was a dear friend, mentor, and foil to many in the Northwest Kiwanis Club.
Jeff first joined the Club in 1985. Over the years, he wore many hats and played many roles in the continuing success of the Club. Jeff served as the Club’s president in 1988 and, by an odd twist of fate, co-president in 2013 as part of the “Three Dudes and Chick” administration. He was recognized twice as a “Kiwanian of the Year”, once in 2005 and again as part of the team presidency in 2014.
In many minds, Jeff is also inextricably linked to two events, the Trader’s Point Charity Horse Show and the Club’s White Elephant Auction.
As a major part of the Club’s first Traders Point fundraiser, Jeff oversaw admission duties for the event. Jeff even once denied entry to the owner of the property, when she did not have a ticket. Fortunately, that did not stop him when they began their more ambitious fundraiser, operation of a food tent for the week-long charity horse show. His experience in hospitality was invaluable to the many successful years they fed the workers and guests of the horse show.
For the other event, an in-house auction of oddities that people dug out of their garages and attics, Jeff made-up incredible exaggerations and fantastic backstories for all the junk members brought in. The White Elephant Auction so highlighted his humor and ability to think on his feet, the Club enlisted him in 2013 as the live auctioneer in their first year of this evening’s event.
During his 36 years as a teacher and Dean at IUPUI, he reached many, both students and faculty. Jeff had a story for every eventuality. Always quick with a jibe or a comeback, Jeff had a huge heart and even as he teased you, you knew he always had your back. Everyone who knew him misses him dearly. Naming tonight’s event after Jeff is just a small way we can keep his memory alive.
If you have any questions, would like more information on the event or sponsorship for next year, click here.