Columbus Regional Health Foundation is hosting its inaugural fall fundraiser later this month, inviting families to NexusPark Circle K Fieldhouse for an evening of trunk-or-treating, games and a silent auction, all in the name of mental health care. The event is set for Friday, October 23, 2026, running from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., with general admission priced at $7.50 and online tickets at $8.00.
According to WISH-TV, the foundation describes the gathering as honoring the spirit, pride and traditions of Columbus and Bartholomew County while raising money for mental health programs at Columbus Regional Health. Sources differ slightly on how the event is styled in print: WISH-TV refers to it as “Fall, Boo and Ball!”, while a separate report from The Republic calls it the inaugural “Fall Ball & BOO!” The exact official styling isn't settled in available reporting, but the date, venue and mission are consistent across both.
The Republic's account adds texture to what guests can expect inside NexusPark, located at 2380 25th St. in Columbus. The evening will include a silent auction stocked with 40 curated packages, along with a beer garden, photo booths, sports clinics, a costume contest, balloon twisting, and music from a DJ, on top of the trunk-or-treat, games and face painting that WISH-TV also reported. Children under age three can attend for free, per the same Republic report.
Where the Money Is Headed
Per the Columbus Regional Health Foundation, all proceeds from the event support the Mental Health Unit at CRH. The foundation's own materials describe the night as the culmination of the foundation's 75th anniversary, giving the fundraiser a celebratory backdrop beyond its charitable goal.
The Republic reports that money raised through the event will go toward the foundation's mental health unit, which is being relocated from its current site on Lincoln Park Drive to the hospital's seventh floor. That relocation effort gives the fundraiser a concrete destination for its proceeds, even as other details, like a specific fundraising target or full breakdown of program spending, have not been reported.
A Foundation With Decades of History
Columbus Regional Health Foundation was incorporated in 1951, according to the organization's own records, making this fall's celebration a milestone tied to the foundation's long run. Organizers are encouraging guests to dress for the occasion too, whether that means favorite team apparel, elegant attire fit for a fairytale ball, or a full Halloween costume.
Part of a Wider Community Push
The fundraiser lands amid broader local efforts to address mental health access in Bartholomew County. Mental Health Matters describes itself as a community-wide initiative created to address challenges and improve the mental health system for the wellbeing of youth and adults in the county, according to the group's own mission statement. The initiative holds that localized mental health action is essential and urgent, and that changing public perception of mental health is critical to that work.
That framing echoes earlier community efforts, including a 2023 Community Mental Health Initiative Kick-Off held in Columbus to mark the start of a broader push to improve mental health systems for Bartholomew County residents, as described on the city of Columbus website. Whether this fall's fundraiser builds directly on that 2023 effort isn't specified in available reporting, but both reflect a sustained local focus on expanding mental health resources.
For now, families planning to attend can expect an evening built around both charity and community pride, with the $7.50 general admission price, or $8.00 for tickets purchased online, standing as the most concrete way to support the cause before October 23 arrives.
