After a successful debut event, Esther Lakes is confident the second Spotlight on Art Benefiting Children will be even better.

Lakes founded the event in 2022 to benefit three nonprofits that support children: Prevail, Inc., the Tom & Soni Sheehan Boys & Girls Club of Noblesville and Children’s TherAplay Foundation, Inc. Lakes is on the board of Prevail and the Boys & Girls Club of Noblesville.

The second Spotlight on Art will be from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel. Lakes said the goal is to top the $50,000 donated last year.

“We’ve increased our sponsorship and ticket sales are up as well,” said Lakes, a Carmel resident who serves as event chair.

Lakes said she came up with the idea for Spotlight on Art while attending a similar event in Atlanta several years ago.

“I thought I could adapt this to help raise funds for children’s organizations,” she said.

After she talked about it for several years, she said a couple of her friends strongly encouraged her to create the event. In addition, she had more time after she and her husband, O’Dell Lakes, sold Smith’s Jewelers in Noblesville in 2020.

Retired Hamilton County judge Steve Nation is the honorary chairman.

Artists sell their work during the event and donate a portion of the proceeds. The event also features children’s artwork.

“We have professional award-winning artists participating who give back 50 percent of their sales, which is very generous for them to do that,” Lakes said. “In addition, we have 24 pieces of art from different elementary schools within Hamilton County. The children donate those pieces, and we sell them.”

The child artists range from first to third grade.

“They are excited about being there,” Lakes said. “A couple of the students told their teacher the next day, ‘Oh, it was a magical night.’ That’s so sweet. I’m so happy to impact children like that.”

For more, visit spotlightonart.home.qtego.us/ or follow the event on Facebook and Instagram.