This year St. Jude House is taking their annual comedy night to Hard Rock Casino.
On Friday, May 8, Stand Up for St. Jude House will take place in Gary, offering a fun night of laughs, love and hope. The fundraiser is one of their largest events as it continues
to grow.
Zanetta Miller, the new Director of Development at St. Jude House is thrilled about the event and its impact. “We are very excited about it. It’s one of the ways St. Jude House brings the community together under its message of “Big Fun for a Serious Mission,” raising awareness about domestic violence while supporting survivors.”
Along with live music, great food and drinks, there will be comedians performing and putting huge smiles on everyone’s faces throughout the night. But this year there is a new segment.
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“It’s called Laugh-A-Minute,” Miller explains. “We have five community members who are well known in the impact space and stepping up to give back through their respective roles.” The community comedians aren’t professional performers, but they’re willing to step onto the Hard Rock stage to show their support for St. Jude House and its mission. Before they take the stage, each participant must raise the funds needed to secure their spot. “Each person must raise $1,000 to secure their spot. They get 90 seconds to deliver a comedy routine, and it’s their chance to see just how many supporters believe in them enough to cheer them on from the audience,”
Miller says.
This year’s inaugural community comedy contenders are:
Evelyn Harris - United Way Northwest Indiana
Rick Peltier - Franciscan Health Foundation
Jennifer Trowbridge & Bill Trowbridge – CoAction & Regional Health Systems
Curt Bowers - Wintrust Bank
Nicholas Neal - Geminus Corporation
The Laugh-A-Minute is part of St. Jude House’s Comedy for a Cause Movement.
St. Jude House is a 24/7 family violence prevention center and shelter provides counseling, legal advocacy, and support services to survivors. It also offers temporary housing to adults and their children, along with empowerment programs designed to help these individuals rebuild their lives. For over 31 years, they have been providing compassionate, free services to anyone who needs it. In that time, they helped over 30,000 survivors.
Miller begins by expressing deep gratitude for the donors and volunteers who keep St. Jude House moving forward. “Because of the generosity shown over the past 31 years, St. Jude House has been able to stand beside survivors in their most difficult moments,” she says. “But we also depend on continued community support. Every donation helps survivors live with dignity, and every volunteer or event attendee strengthens our ability to step in when someone needs us. We simply couldn’t do this work without our community.”
“If laughter is the best medicine, then this event turns it into hope and support for a serious mission. By bringing the community together through humor, the evening helps spark healing for the children, women, and men who turn to St. Jude House for safety and support. Through funds raised at the Stand Up event, including donations from the Laugh-A-Minute segment, St. Jude House will be able to continue transforming lives.”
If you want to laugh the night away at Stand Up for St. Jude House, doors open at 5:30pm and the event goes from 6-10pm. There’s no need to dress up, and the event is for guests 21 and over. Tickets are now available online. The public can visit the St. Jude House Facebook page to purchase tickets through the event link, donate a silent-auction item, or become an event sponsor. Community members are encouraged to contact Zanetta Miller, Director of Development, at zmiller@stjudehouse.org for more information. Stand with survivors and support your favorite community contender.
