Brownsburg Magazine February 2026

SLIDE INTO FUN

SLICK CITY ACTION PARK BRINGS FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT TO BROWNSBURG

FIGHTING CANCER WITH EXTRAORDINARY STRENGTH

It starts with a name, handshake or a tearful conversation. Because it’s not just about treating cancer – we’re caring for the person behind the diagnosis. Every appointment is an opportunity for us to listen, connect and encourage you during the fight. And every milestone is celebrated together.

BOSTON darren@townepost.com (317) 716-8812

tom@townepost.com (317) 496-3599

jeanne@townepost.com (317) 810-0011

Purdue University, College of Pharmacy is seeking people living with atrial fibrillation/flutter who are planning to have or recently have had a electric cardioversion or ablation to treat atrial fibrillation or flutter. In order to qualify you must be taking anticoagulation (a blood thinner such as coumadin, Eliquis, Xarelto).

If you qualify for the study:

• You will be asked to take a medicine called Zofran (ondansetron) or a placebo (sugar pill) twice a day for 4 weeks

• You will be asked to wear a Ziopatch on your chest which monitors your heart beats for 4 weeks and keep a log of any symptoms that you have related to the medicine and atrial fibrillation.

• You will complete 5 visits lasting about 30 minutes (1 visit at the start of the study and then a visit each week). The visits can be completed at your home or in the clinical reearch center located on the IU Indianapolis campus

• You will receive up to $350 after completing all study visits.

SLIDE INTO FUN

SLICK CITY ACTION PARK BRINGS FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT TO BROWNSBURG

If you’re looking for a new take on family entertainment, you may want to check out Slick City. A large warehouse brimming with fun for everyone, Slick City Action Park offers an exhilarating approach to quality time with the whole family. If places such as Sky Zone or Activate catch your eye, you’re sure to love Slick City.

Owners Marissa and John Lassaux both come from backgrounds in commercial real estate. Slick City wasn’t originally part of their personal or professional plans, but a 2022 skiing vacation to Denver left Marissa sitting on the sidelines due to a recent hip surgery that prevented her from joining her family on the slopes. As a result, she wanted to find something active and fun she could do with her family during their visit to Colorado. They found Slick City in Denver and gushed about it for months after returning home to Brownsburg.

“When we came home, we couldn’t stop talking about the fun we’d had at Slick City and couldn’t wait to go again, telling our friends about it,” Lassaux says. “We contacted Slick City and persisted until we became the first franchisees for the company.”

Slick City opened in Brownsburg on April 1, 2025. Located at 4430 N. County Road 1000 E, Suite 100, Slick City offers a wide variety of entertainment that appeals to all ages.

The massive building houses 13 slides, two air courts, a trapeze, zip line, a junior jungle climbing area, webcrawler, arcade games and a full-service café. Lassaux has focused her efforts on providing a fun, inviting space in Brownsburg that is active and welcoming

for all. In fact, the one-of-a-kind park even draws people from surrounding states.

“Slick City brings a brand-new experience to the town,” Lassaux adds. “We have had guests come from all over the country and many who visit while in Indiana for other events. We very often have guests from Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan.”

In addition to 90-minute and 120-minute timed-entry tickets available during normal business hours, Slick City also offers dedicated programs for a slightly different experience. Options include adults-only nights, sensory hours for those with sensitivities, after-hours sessions that transform the park into a glow-in-thedark hangout, homeschool socials geared toward home-based learners and family

We create the techniques, teach other surgeons and make sure

days, allowing families to slide together at a discounted rate.

Slick City is also ideal for large groups, offering birthday party packages, private events, full-facility rental options, field trips and even fundraisers.

Lassaux stresses that Slick City has something for everyone and encourages visitors to try a variety of options, perhaps starting within their comfort zone or working up to a slide outside of it. Mostly, she just wants guests to have fun.

“Our slides range in difficulty levels, and if you’re at all nervous or scared, we can help you pick out the slowest slides to start so you can work your way up to the iconic launch slides by the end of your visit,” she says.

And parents, she knows you’re going to have a blast, too. Even if you aren’t adventurous, this is a great way to spend time doing something your kids will love.

“It’s not unusual to have parents check in planning to watch and then come back to buy a wristband because they want to join in. We have grandparents slide all of the time,” she says.

Junior tickets are also available to get the littles, ages 3 and younger, out of the house at a discounted rate.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable day and memory-making thrills, check out Slick City at slickcity.com.

FEBRUARY AROUND THE COMMUNITY, 2026

Submit Your Events!

1

INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA: HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERERS STONE IN CONCERT

Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle.

2 p.m.

MONSTER JAM

Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 South Capitol Ave.

3 p.m.

Nothing compares to the one and only Monster Jam®. With awesome trucks, amazing stunts, big air and actionpacked excitement, it?s the definition of fun for everyone!

4

CLUE: THE MOVIE WITH LESLEY ANN WARREN

Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University, 4602 Sunset Ave.

6–7

BLUE MAN GROUP

Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St.

7:30 p.m. (Feb. 6); 2 p.m. (Feb. 7); 7:30 p.m. (Feb. 7)

Murat Theatre at Old National Centre

Doors: 6:30 pm Show: 7:30 pm

Murat Theatre at Old National Centre

Doors: 1:00 pm Show: 2:00 pm

Murat Theatre at Old National Centre

Doors: 6:30 pm Show: 7:30 pm

6–7

INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA: JACK EVERLYTROUPE VERTIGO

Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle.

11 a.m. (Feb. 6); 7:30 p.m. (Feb. 6–7)

6

WINTER JAM TOUR 2026

Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St. 7–10 p.m.

The Winter Jam 2026 Tour, returns to arenas nationwide this winter with an all-star lineup and a renewed mission to unite fans through powerful music.

11–15

GRAND KYIV BALLET: THE SNOW QUEEN

Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University, Sunset Ave.

13, 15

HENDRICKS SYMPHONY - MUSIC OF THE SILVER SCREEN

Hendricks Live, 206 W Main St.

7:30 p.m. (Feb. 13); 3 p.m. (Feb. 15)

15

DEON COLE

Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St. 7:30 p.m.

Murat Theatre at Old National Centre Ages 18+

Doors: 6:30 pm Show: 7:30 pm

21–22

SHEN YUN

Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University, Sunset Avenue.

2 p.m. (Feb. 21–22); 7 p.m. (Feb. 21)

Shen Yun is a brilliant artistic revival and celebration of China?s rich cultural heritage. But after decades of communist rule, much of this divinely inspired culture has been lost.

22

LABOR OF LOVE” TOUR

The Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N College Ave. 6:30 p.m.

Atlanta-based musician Tinsley Ellis—known for decades as one of the greatest electric blues-rock guitarists of his generation.

MOVING FORWARD

PLAINFIELD FRESHMAN PUSHES PAST VISION LOSS

If there was ever a kid who was born to run, it’s Plainfield freshman Andrew Gray. Andrew’s first exposure to running came in September 2020, when he joined his family on a three-kilometer course at Swinford Park.

At the age of 9, Andrew wasn’t initially enamored with running, but he spent many years watching his older brother, Isaiah, take part in cross-country. When he entered sixth grade, Andrew joined the cross-country team. Initially ranking among the top eight runners, he qualified as an alternate for championship races. He never missed a chance to watch the eighth graders at important meets, and he was determined to enter seventh grade with a renewed sense of purpose and become a top runner.

The 2023 cross-country season gave Andrew his first real taste of success. Spending much of the season as one of the top runners, he eventually competed at the state championship, where he broke the 11-minute barrier for the first time with a run time of 10:49. After the school season finished, he also ran the USATF Hoosier Grand Prix, NXR Midwest and the USATF Indiana Association Junior Olympic Championship, where he finished ninth and qualified for the USATF Region 7 Championship.

With an invigorated passion for running, Andrew began training regularly during both the on- and off-season, averaging nearly 30 miles per week between November and January. In 2024, Andrew took off competitively, joining the MSP Speed Run Club out of Avon after the school season ended. He finished second in the 1,500 meters and won the 3,000 meters and the 4x800 relay at the USATF Indiana Association Junior Olympic Championship.

He continued on to the USATF Region 7 Junior Olympic Championship, where he finished third in the 1,500 meters with a personal-best 4:44 and once again won the 3,000 meters with a time of 10:15. Afterward, Andrew and his dad traveled to Texas A&M University in College Station for the USATF National Junior Olympic Championship. There, Andrew finished 32nd in the 1,500 meters with a 4:47 and 19th in the 3,000 meters with a personal-best time of 10:12.46.

Andrew went on to win most of his eighth-grade races, including taking the top spot at the Junior Mid-State Conference Championship at Franklin Community. After a series of successes, Andrew competed again at the USATF National Junior Olympic Championship, hopeful for an All-American placement. Despite his previous achievements, he burned out quickly, posting one of the worst performances of his life, running 94 seconds slower than he had on the same course just two months earlier.

Shortly thereafter, Andrew’s parents noticed a change in his vision and initially thought the decline was a side effect of vision loss. Like many kids his age, Andrew was headed to the optometrist for glasses. However, that visit soon turned into a series of MRIs, a five-day stay at Riley Hospital and

genetic testing. The diagnosis was an inherited mutation on his mitochondrial DNA known as Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, or LHON.

“With his diagnosis, his weekly mileage dropped as we tried to adjust. His vision loss at the time was roughly equivalent to 20/600 in his central vision. He has thankfully retained peripheral vision so far. Because of this, he can navigate fairly well as long as there are no sudden changes in front of him,” says Adam Gray, Andrew’s father. “LHON’s appearance also came with a fairly large systemwide metabolic crash, meaning he lost quite a bit of what might be called fitness, which he is still working to reclaim today.”

Although Andrew still retains an elite aerobic system, the mutation affects the first stage of his energy production. As a result, his body produces lactate sooner than normal, causing heavy legs and slowing him down even though his aerobic system remains largely uncompromised.

When he returned for his eighth-grade track season, Andrew competed in the Indiana Distance Showcase Meet but reported seeing “dots” everywhere and complained of dizziness throughout the race. He spent much of the spring season sick or injured as he worked to return to his normal physical capacity. For the most part, he was able to run with the team and compete in races. However, a collision with a female teammate on the homestretch of a 2,400-meter race raised questions

about accommodations, and his family began investigating ways to best support his future in running.

It was decided Andrew would try a new approach. Wearing his phone on a belt and connected to open-ear, bone-conduction Bluetooth headphones, he could hear instructions from coaches alerting him to upcoming obstacles and lane changes. While this method was initially successful, Andrew came under scrutiny at the USATF Nationals and was nearly disqualified for wearing headphones during the race.

“It was so hot that day that there was a water table set up for the 3,000, but Andrew could not see the cups well enough to grab one cleanly,” Adam says. “It wasn’t until lap six, after several failed attempts, that a volunteer matched his pace to hand him a cup of water to cool down. After returning to our hotel room after the race, we were laughing so hard at the commentary, as all eyes were on Andrew and whether or not he’d finally get a cup. It was hysterical.”

Andrew eventually transitioned to high school cross-country, something he had long looked forward to. He had a rough start, running a 12:18 two-mile after previously posting a 13:13 fivekilometer time the year before. He also suffered a concussion while crossing lane traffic. It became clear he would need a

guide runner, and teammate Cole Rightley volunteered for the role.

“Their first race together was a learning experience for both of them at the Brownsburg Invite,” Adam says. “The course is flat and fast, but many sections are narrow for the number of runners. It’s very different racing with someone attached to your side. Even small moves and passes must be planned and communicated to be effective.”

Andrew continues to show improvement with the use of a guide runner. He remains active in winter meets and is looking forward to IHSAA track in the spring.

“Andrew is a kind and compassionate kid who loves to run and is driven to keep pushing himself,” Adam says. “He has met and befriended runners from all over Indiana and the Midwest and enjoys encouraging those he competes with. He has a great sense of humor and is always joking around. Blind jokes at his own expense are his favorite right now.”

The Gray family remains hopeful Andrew will continue to improve during the spring season and stays committed to supporting him in every way possible as he pursues his dreams.

CRUMBELIEVABLE TALES

LOCAL ILLUSTRATOR BRINGS GRAPHIC NOVEL TO LIFE

Writer / Ashley Watters

Many readers find themselves in the pages of the stories they read. Kids learn to work through problems and face fears through the eyes of their favorite characters. Local Avon resident David Perry feels lucky to have found his place as a storyteller. His newest project, illustrating the graphic novel Aw, Nuts!, a multiyear passion project in the making, is now officially available for young readers.

The road to this release was long and winding for Perry. His childhood was marked by

frequent moves and financial struggles, and his family of eight often shuffled between multiple residences and motel rooms. Without much space and little room for toys, Perry often found himself watching beloved cartoons such as Dragon Ball Z, Rugrats and The Simpsons. During these formative moments, Perry would sketch images as he laughed along with his favorite characters.

After some adult growing pains, Perry landed back in central Indiana at Butler University.

With hopes of becoming an animator, he majored in broadcasting, the closest path he could find to pursuing his dream. It was his minor in creative writing, however, that ignited a true love of storytelling.

“I thought I wanted to animate for a living, but what I learned after taking poetry courses was that I started drawing not because I loved drawing, but because I loved storytelling,” Perry says. “I wanted to tell stories, and poetry showed me how to craft meaning artfully, how

to distill into the smallest, most impactful space parts of the human condition that are impossible to communicate in direct language. I loved it, and it revealed to me my love of language.”

Shortly thereafter, Perry transferred to IUPUI to take advantage of the school’s 2D animation courses. He fell in love with the media arts department and graduated with honors four years later. During his tenure, Perry undertook his first major project, an animated series called Mallory Bash. That series garnered him the attention of Aw, Nuts! author Max Beaudry. Together, the two developed The Crumbelievable Adventures of Peanut and Jelly.

Beaudry originally approached Perry with the goal of developing a 22-minute pilot script as pitch material. Perry readily agreed, and the two began work,

developing a close working partnership and friendship. What Perry initially thought would be a quick-turnaround script morphed into a two-year project in the making.

“This was a throwback to classic middlegrade cartoons, the kind I grew up with,” Perry says. “I wanted to work on these kinds of shows all my life, and now I had an opportunity to help create one. I thought, yeah, sure, this ought to be relatively easy. Just illustrating a comic from a 22-minute pilot script. How hard could it be? Well, as it turns out, a lot of stuff happens in 22 minutes. By the time I finished the book — two years later, between other projects and being the sole artist on the job — we had an 88-page graphic novel.”

The book is intended for a young audience, ages 6-11. Young readers

will be delighted by the story of Peanut and Jelly, who are “best food dudes.” The two friends dream of climbing the social hierarchy in Foodtopia, a structure loosely based on the food pyramid. Peanut and Jelly work menial jobs at the Crumb Dump. The Toppings reign supreme, the Average Dough perform mind-numbing work in slavish cubicles, while the Crumbs straggle at the bottom.

The two friends horse around, resulting in Peanut’s work hat being lost in the forbidden crumb wasteland. An attempt to retrieve it leads to the accidental release of a sandwormish beast, and antics ensue. Peanut and Jelly hilariously attempt to return the beast, leaving Foodtopia in shambles, scattered in leftovers. Along the way, the friends learn a valuable lesson about the importance of friendship over the draw and glitz of the higher food groups.

“My favorite thing about working on projects with Max is that he lets me creep in my own little jokes,” Perry says. “While all the writing humor is his, all the background jokes are pure Perry. I grew up on The Simpsons, so there are a lot of sign gags all over Foodtopia.”

After an initial stint as a self-published book, the graphic novel series was picked up by Papercutz and officially released in November 2025. Perry and Beaudry are now hard at work on promotional tours for Aw, Nuts!, and the two are gearing up for a follow-up book with more antics from Peanut and Jelly.

Perry also hopes Peanut and Jelly will eventually be picked up for an animated series, joining the ranks of SpongeBob and Patrick.

Until then, Perry is hard at work as a lecturer of character design, 2D animation and comics at IU Indianapolis, while also freelancing as a series development artist, screenwriter, comic artist and fiction writer.

Aw, Nuts! is available through Papercutz at papercutz.com.

FEBRUARY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

1. Black caller

Knave 28. Chem class

31. Ready for shipping

33. Academic’s achievement

35. Any boat

36. Celebrity, briefly

38. Alphabetizes, e.g. 39. Fragrant wood

41. Grant

42. Loser to Lewis

45. Domestic

47. Foreign dignitary

48. Medal contender

52. Adolescent development

53. Cartoonist’s supplies 54. Pro

55. ___ to riches 56. Function

57. Hardly extroverted

DOWN

1. Pricing word

2. What borrowers do

3. Gymnastics ideal

4. Hopper

5. Takes in

6. Sour

7. Danger signal

8. Drive forward

9. Keynoter’s spot

10. It’s picked from pockets

11. Lodge fellows

16. Live in the past?

19. Wears out

20. Yen

21. Miffed

22. Make-up artist?

24. Emulated Jack Horner

26. Evening hour

28. Angler’s attachment

29. Liberal pursuits

30. Top

32. “___ not!”

34. Romance, e.g.

37. Copper finish

39. Hearts

40. Military standings

42. Eye drop?

43. Pantomimed disco title

44. Do a number

46. Halloween purchase

48. In shape

49. Possibilities

50. Mi, fah, ___, lah

51. Really test

Thursday | 6:30 pm

Sunday | 7:45*, 9, and 11 am

*Hymn Service