Local youth showcase talent to benefit Cincinnati boy struck by lightning

Local youth showcase talent to benefit Cincinnati boy struck by lightning

Twelve-year-old Ethan Kadish was enjoying playing frisbee last summer at a camp in Indiana when he was struck by lightning with no warning. Ethan has suffered severe brain damage. He is now 13, and his situation is still very serious. His brain is struggling to make new connections, and he has a very long road ahead. He is fighting to regain the ability to walk and talk. 

Friends who know Ethan and his family and many others touched by this random tragedy wanted to find a way to help. Alex Berko, a Solon High School senior who was born in Cincinnati and whose family has been friends with the Kadishes for many years; and Greg Davidson, a Solon High school freshman who has spent many summers at Goldman Union Camp Institute, the same camp Ethan attended, wanted to do something concrete to help Ethan's recovery.

Ethan loves music and theatre and was featured in MUSIC MAN last school year. The boys decided that they could honor Ethan's love of music and put their own talents to good use and engage many of their friends.

Alex will be playing piano and singing in a quartet. Greg will be leading a sing-along of some of his camp favorites and singing a song from MUSIC MAN. Other friends who love the stage will also be lending their voices to this cause. These include: Ally Benjamin, Sam Benjamin, Jessie Pollak, Charlotte Fallick, Brett Castro, Elliot Lang, Kyle Fisher from Solon High School and Alexa Askari from Orange High School.

Many others friends will be joining the group to help orchestrate the program, including Dylan Seigler, a Solon resident and University School student who was a cabin mate of Ethan’s last summer; and Sara Schwalberg, an Ithaca College sophomore who was one of Ethan’s unit counselors at Goldman Union Camp Institute last summer. Cantor Laurel Barr will be providing accompaniment.

The event will take place Sunday, February 9, 2014at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple, 23737 Fairmount Boulevard at 7:30pm. The concert is free to attend but donations are strongly encouraged.

Ethan’s family learned that his yearly medical expenses could top $1 million. To assist with the immense task of financing uninsured therapies, home modifications and other injury-related expenses, a fundraising campaign in Ethan's honor has been established with HelpHOPELive (http://www.helphopelive.org/.) All contributions are tax deductible and will support HelpHOPELive, part of the Great Lakes Catastrophic Injury Fund, a non-profit organization that is helping Ethan's family.

To learn more about Ethan, visithttp://jointeamethan.org.