Join us for the 2024-25 Annual Appeal and a holiday concert benefitting the Center for Respite Care
With the holiday season upon us and the cold temperatures underway — life is even more difficult for people experiencing homelessness. The Center for Respite Care provides a place for healing for adults released from the hospital with nowhere else to go. The Center, completing its 21st year of serving, is the only facility of its type in the region.
Our Annual Appeal and Channel 12
The Center’s Annual Appeal commences this month — in the past, it has been represented by a celebrity spokesperson — former UC President Santa Ono, former Cincinnati Bengal Dre Kirkpatrick, and several FC Cincinnati players. The face of the 2023-24 appeal was a Center co-founder and well-known regional physician, Dr. Bob Donovan.
This year, both Laurel Nelson (our CEO) and Sister Therese DelGenio will appear in a public service announcement (PSA) on Channel 12 to promote the appeal. Sister Therese has been a Center lead volunteer and is well-known across Greater Cincinnati. The appeal runs through the end of March.
December 10 at 7 pm a holiday concert to benefit the Center.
We thank Michael Chertock and his family for their vision and development of a holiday concert to benefit the Center — which has now run for over ten years. This year’s show will be on December 10th at the Sycamore Presbyterian Church at 7 pm. While admission is free and reservations are not necessary — donations are encouraged.
Michael’s vision for 2024 is all about a “brass program.”
While always looking for opportunities to collaborate and hoping to inject fresh energy and sounds into the benefit, he has proposed a brass holiday program — with holiday favorites —including a sing-along.
The current plan is that all organizations concerned advertise this to attract the largest crowd.
About Michael Chertock
Michael Chertock and his family came forward to support The Center for Respite Care beginning in 2014. They were not asked. They just did.
And all of these years later, they endure. The family annually performs this fundraising concert that donates handily to the Center. Their audience gets to hear world-class music and support one of the region’s most important organizations. And this music is provided by serious professionals.
In 2004, Michael Chertock joined the faculty of the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he is currently chair of the Piano Department. He made his debut at 17, performing the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 with Andrew Litton conducting.
Chertock made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1999 with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. His 2003 performance on the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s recording of Petrouchka with Paavo Järvi received rave reviews.
In 2005, Chertock with Maestro Lockhart and the National Youth Orchestra of London. Later that year, Chertock performed the world premiere of “Jeux Deux” for hyper-piano and orchestra by Todd Machover, commissioned by the Boston Pops expressly for him.
Along with benefit concerts for Habitat for Humanity, the Michael Chertock and Friends Holiday Concerts on behalf of the Center for Respite Care have been held since 2014.
Michael lives in Mason, Ohio, with his wife Maaike. Joining the rest of the amazing gathering of musical artists, all three of their talented children have regularly performed at the benefit.
Their relationship with the Center, he explains, has taught them much:
“It opened all of our eyes to the problem of what to do when you are homeless and need continuing treatment,” Chertock said.
“This annual event has become a must-see. Even during the pandemic, a virtual event was offered. We are thankful to the Chertock family for offering such amazing music,” Laurel Nelson, Center CEO, said.
Please consider participating in the Center’s Annual Appeal (www.centerforrespitecare.org) and attendance at the concert. We thank the public for being part of the Center family.
