From left to right: Tara Zrinski [County Executive, Northampton County], Ken Telfort [Corporate Vice President, Business Process Excellence, B. Braun Medical, Inc.], Thomas Harrington [President and Executive Director, Valley Youth House], Matthew Kennedy [Director of Custom Shop Sales, Administration, and Support, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.], Chris Martin [Executive Chairman, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.], Thomas Ripsam [President & CEO, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.], Vicki Doulé [Lehigh Valley Executive Vice President, Community Impact & Market Development, Capital Blue Cross], kathryn M. Brown [Founder and Principal, Morton Brown Family Wealth, LLC], Destiny Jarnagin [Life Skills Counselor and Family Advocate, Valley Youth House, and Client Speaker], and Christina J. Schoemaker [Senior Vice President of Advancement, Valley Youth House].

Allentown, PA (3/19/2026) – Valley Youth House’s Setting the Stage with Rod Stewart event raised $304,000 to support youth and families in the Greater Lehigh Valley region. The evening began with a reception at Allentown’s Renaissance Hotel, during which community leaders and Valley Youth House alumni shared remarks highlighting the crucial work carried out each and every day at the agency.

Chris Martin [Executive Chairman, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.] and Thomas Ripsam [President & CEO, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.] were recognized as the event’s Distinguished Honorees. Co-Chairs Vicki Doulé [Lehigh Valley Executive Vice President, Community Impact & Market Development, Capital Blue Cross], Laurie Hackett [Corporate and Community Relations, Air Products], Matthew Kenendy [Director of Custom Shop Sales, Administration, and Support, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.], and Ken Telfort [Corporate Vice President, Business Process Excellence, B. Braun Medical, Inc.] were also recognized for their leadership of this event.

Top sponsors of the event were recognized and are listed below:

Setting the Stage with Rod Stewart: Honoring Chris Martin and Thomas Ripsam – Watch the Video

During the reception, we also auctioned off a custom-made D-28 Martin Guitar with a Valley Youth House mother-of-pearl inlay custom pickguard! The D-28 was fully crafted and donated by C.F. Martin & Co., Inc. It is a one-of-a-kind instrument that has an interior label signed by:

• Chris Martin, Chairman of the Board, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.
• Thomas Ripsam, President & CEO, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.
• Tom Harrington, President & Executive Director, Valley Youth House

And a signature on its body by:

• Rod Stewart….yes, THE Rod Stewart!

Above: Custom-made D-28 Martin Guitar with a Valley Youth House mother-of-pearl inlay custom pickguard, signed by Rod Stewart

Guests were deeply moved during a speech given by Destiny Jarnagin. Destiny, who is currently a Life Skills Case Manager & Family Advocate for Valley Youth House, was also our Setting the Stage youth speaker nearly a decade ago when she was a member of our Adolescents Achieving Independence (AAI) Program. “I came into foster care when I was fourteen with my brother and five other siblings. You could say my life felt like a leaf in a wind storm,” she said. “Last October, a dream beyond reality happened when I was hired at Valley Youth House. Many of my clients are still in foster care or have experienced homelessness. With your support, we are able to help them get apartments, education, jobs and learn basic life skills to be successful. The work I do with Valley Youth House is truly a full circle moment for me.”

“The backing we received for this event demonstrates our supporters’ commitment to some of the most vulnerable children in our community,” said Thomas Harrington [President & Executive Director, Valley Youth House]. “Our job is to get young people into a safe space, and a positive environment where they can heal from any past trauma. And we do that by surrounding them with dedicated individuals like you.”

After the reception, guests enjoyed the Rod Stewart concert at the PPL Center.

Setting the Stage is Valley Youth House’s signature fundraising event, celebrating the significant impact supporters have on the lives of vulnerable individuals in the Greater Lehigh Valley region. All proceeds from the event will benefit the life-changing programs and services Valley Youth House provides to youth and families in our community.

About Valley Youth House

Valley Youth House (valleyyouthhouse.org) does more than just provide homes for vulnerable young people in Pennsylvania experiencing abuse or homelessness. We partner with thousands of individuals each year to build a solid foundation for young people and their families. With dedicated street outreach, housing, counseling, skills training, health, prevention, and intervention services, we empower resilient young people in establishing promising futures.

Information provided to TVL by:
Sarah Pammer