Stories. Laughter. Live Music.
🗓️ Date: Friday, September 12th | 5:00–9:00 PM
📍 Location: Gibson Community Music Hall, Downtown Appleton, WI
Join us for RISE 12 YEAR, a golden anniversary celebration of 12 powerful years of youth-led change, community healing, and breaking the silence around addiction and mental health.
This unforgettable night features spoken word, stand-up comedy, and a live hip-hop performance — all centered around storytelling and collective impact.
🎟️ Tickets: VIP Admission – $40 (includes VIP perks, meet-and-greet, drink tickets & more.) General Admission – $25 advance | $30 at the door (Open seating, full event access.)
Small fee added for tax & processing.
Event Highlights
5:00 PM – Doors Open
Merch table, community resources, raffle and early connection.
5:30 PM – Welcome & First Public Reading by Nadine Machkovech
Founder and Executive Director of Rise Together
Nadine will officially kick off the night and share a powerful sneak peek from her upcoming book — raw reflections on leadership, healing, and the power of turning pain into purpose. nadinespeaks.com
6:00 PM – “No Sleep to Madness”
Anthony Alvarado × Alex Schotten
A soul-stirring, spoken-word-meets-music experience about what it means to rise from the dark. This brand-new collaboration blends poetry and sound to tell the unfiltered story of recovery, pain, and hope.
- Learn more about Anthony at anthonyalvarado.com
- Follow Alex on Instagram @alexschottenpoetry
6:30 PM – Comedian Kody Green
Mental health advocate and stand-up comedian Kody Green is breaking stigma through laughter. With over a million followers online and features in Newsweek and Men’s Health, Kody’s story of rising from incarceration and living with schizophrenia is nothing short of inspiring.
🔗 kodygreen.com | kodygreencomedy.com
7:15 PM – RISE Reflections
We pause to reflect on 12 years of impact — how far we’ve come together.
And where we’re headed next.
7:45 PM – Headliner: Femdot.
Chicago’s own Femdot. (Femi Adigun) closes out the night with a high-energy set filled with truth, lyrical brilliance, and deep community roots. He’s not just a hip-hop artist — he’s a mentor, nonprofit founder, and one of the boldest voices in conscious rap today.
🎧 @femdotdotcom | YouTube
Every moment supports Rise Together’s mission to educate, engage, and empower youth through peer-led prevention programs and real conversations.
Throughout the Night – Emcee: Tamra Oman
Guiding the evening is Tamra Oman — advocate, artist, and community leader — helping us stay grounded in connection and purpose.
Generous Sponsors
Visionary Sponsor
trailblazer sponsors
catalyst Sponsors
Changemaker Sponsors
Advocate Sponsors
rise community supporters
Funds raised will expand youth programs, storytelling workshops, and prevention training in schools and communities.
Interested in supporting this years event?
Contact: Nadine@weallrisetogether.org
Support The Mission
We look forward to celebrating with you and continuing our lifesaving mission.
Additional Information
21+ Event: Guests must be 21+ unless accompanied by an adult.
Donations Accepted: Donations will be accepted at the door, with all proceeds supporting Rise Together’s prevention programs and the vision of supporting young people.