American Idol season 19 contestant Ash Ruder and comedian Michael Jr. are set to take the stage at the seventh annual Taste to Transform; the September 28 event benefits Denver-based Musana, which is creating self-sustaining communities in Uganda.
“I’m super pumped to be meeting the Musana family in Denver,” says Michael Jr., who's known for his appearances on The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live. “We’re going to laugh and do a whole bunch of other cool things, and the night is going to help lots of people who need it the most.”
Ruder, a rising singer-songwriter who is set to release her debut album next spring, is already part of that family: As the daughter of longtime Musana supporters, her music is aligned with the organization's mission.
"Ash Ruder has been in the Musana community for a while," says Andrea Kazindra, the group's CEO, who founded Musana with her husband, Haril. "We were thinking, 'Who can we have that is already a member of the community?' Her family is very passionate about Musana, and she is extremely talented, young and at an exciting stage in her career. Ash was a pretty obvious choice."
Musana was founded in 2008 after Kazindra's life-changing trip to Uganda while attending the University of Colorado. What began as a mission to rescue children from an abusive orphanage has grown into a nonprofit organization that creates self-sustaining communities throughout Uganda. Musana now runs eight schools that have educated over 8,000 students; three hospitals that have treated over 300,000 patients; and several social enterprises that employ over 680 people.
“Our goal is to create communities that no longer depend on outside aid,” Kazindra says. "Every donation we receive helps to build infrastructure that the community will own and maintain. Everything on the ground in Uganda is truly owned by the community. It’s an investment that pays off for generations and doesn't rely on outsiders to support its operations."
Last year's Taste to Transform event raised nearly $1 million thanks to keynote speaker Tim Tebow, and Musana hopes to match or exceed that total this year. The funds will go directly toward the construction of a vocational high school; the total cost is estimated at a little over $2 million.
When it's completed in January 2026, the boarding school is projected to serve 1,200 students; the massive project will include classrooms, dormitories, a large dining hall, a kitchen, staff housing, a main hall/church, basketball courts, volleyball courts and soccer fields on eleven acres.
"We already have eight campuses similar to this; they're all self-sustaining and educating thousands of students already, so we know that it works," Kazindra says. "It is a one-time investment, so everything we raise will go toward building a school that will last a lifetime. It'll just continue to educate more and more students every year."
In addition to Ruder and Michael Jr., the program will include a live auction, food trucks and a presentation by Kazindra and her husband, sharing the organization’s latest achievements. Kazindra sees the annual event as both a fundraiser and an opportunity to connect with the Denver community, which has been so instrumental in Musana's success.
“Taste to Transform is one of our highlights every year," she says. "Musana started in Denver; much of our support has come from Denver. So it’s always a great honor to tell the people of Denver what we’ve been doing."
Taste to Transform, Saturday, September 28, at the Stockyards Event Center, 5004 National Western Drive; get details at musana.org.
“I’m super pumped to be meeting the Musana family in Denver,” says Michael Jr., who's known for his appearances on The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live. “We’re going to laugh and do a whole bunch of other cool things, and the night is going to help lots of people who need it the most.”
Ruder, a rising singer-songwriter who is set to release her debut album next spring, is already part of that family: As the daughter of longtime Musana supporters, her music is aligned with the organization's mission.
"Ash Ruder has been in the Musana community for a while," says Andrea Kazindra, the group's CEO, who founded Musana with her husband, Haril. "We were thinking, 'Who can we have that is already a member of the community?' Her family is very passionate about Musana, and she is extremely talented, young and at an exciting stage in her career. Ash was a pretty obvious choice."
Musana was founded in 2008 after Kazindra's life-changing trip to Uganda while attending the University of Colorado. What began as a mission to rescue children from an abusive orphanage has grown into a nonprofit organization that creates self-sustaining communities throughout Uganda. Musana now runs eight schools that have educated over 8,000 students; three hospitals that have treated over 300,000 patients; and several social enterprises that employ over 680 people.
“Our goal is to create communities that no longer depend on outside aid,” Kazindra says. "Every donation we receive helps to build infrastructure that the community will own and maintain. Everything on the ground in Uganda is truly owned by the community. It’s an investment that pays off for generations and doesn't rely on outsiders to support its operations."
Last year's Taste to Transform event raised nearly $1 million thanks to keynote speaker Tim Tebow, and Musana hopes to match or exceed that total this year. The funds will go directly toward the construction of a vocational high school; the total cost is estimated at a little over $2 million.
When it's completed in January 2026, the boarding school is projected to serve 1,200 students; the massive project will include classrooms, dormitories, a large dining hall, a kitchen, staff housing, a main hall/church, basketball courts, volleyball courts and soccer fields on eleven acres.
"We already have eight campuses similar to this; they're all self-sustaining and educating thousands of students already, so we know that it works," Kazindra says. "It is a one-time investment, so everything we raise will go toward building a school that will last a lifetime. It'll just continue to educate more and more students every year."
In addition to Ruder and Michael Jr., the program will include a live auction, food trucks and a presentation by Kazindra and her husband, sharing the organization’s latest achievements. Kazindra sees the annual event as both a fundraiser and an opportunity to connect with the Denver community, which has been so instrumental in Musana's success.
“Taste to Transform is one of our highlights every year," she says. "Musana started in Denver; much of our support has come from Denver. So it’s always a great honor to tell the people of Denver what we’ve been doing."
Taste to Transform, Saturday, September 28, at the Stockyards Event Center, 5004 National Western Drive; get details at musana.org.
