The return of Voice and Vino

Erik Hackman, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·2 min read

Oct. 27—SOUTHERN INDIANA — LifeSpan Resources held its annual gala on Tuesday night, with the fundraiser highlighted by the return of Voice and Vino.

LifeSpan is a nonprofit for the elderly and persons with disabilities of all ages. The organization helps them to live independently. Their services include home-delivered meals, transportation and many in-home services.

They service Clark, Floyd, Harrison and Scott counties.

Voice and Vino is a singing event that LifeSpan puts on and has local singers go against each other in a singing and fundraising competition. Each participant has a goal to raise $25,000 for the organization.

"The program tonight will focus on our agency's history," said Lora Clark, CEO of LifeSpan. "May of 2023 will mark our 50th year of serving the residents of Southern Indiana."

LifeSpan raised more than $150,000 from the 2022 event.

This year, seven performers sang for Voice and Vino: Charlestown Mayor Treva Hodges, Dr. Mindy Gunn, Melissa Sprigler, Jonathan Belden, Craig Zirnheld, Celina Acosta and Brian Elmore.

"I'm always amazed at the amount of talent that we have in our own area," Clark said. "It's amazing. You don't even know that they can sing and can get up in front of 700 people and do their thing."

After each performance, the singer was judged by the four judges chosen for the event, some of which were performers in years past: Larry "TC" Baker, Greg Nash, Jill Robertson and Lori Unruh. The host of the event was Keith Kaiser, WDRB feature reporter.

When the performance ended, people could vote for who they wanted to win. After all the performances were finished, Hodges ended up winning the contest.

Hodges won by performing the song "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles.

Season six of Voice and Vino will be on Oct. 24, 2023 at Caesars Southern Indiana in New Albany.