Hoping to bring some laughter to the community this Valentines Day, the Airdrie and District Hospice Society is hosting a virtual comedy night Feb. 14, featuring veteran stand-up comic Jebb Fink.
The show – dubbed ‘Humour For Hospice' – gets underway at 7 p.m. via livestream.
“We planned this virtual social gathering to bring a little light and laughter into people’s lives at a time when they may be feeling very lonely and isolated,” said Lise Blanchette, executive director of the hospice society.
“We hope that getting some hearty laughs together will lift spirits while helping some of the most vulnerable people in our community.”
The show will be preceded by an online auction from Feb. 1 to 14, featuring 40 items donated by Airdrie and area businesses. According to Blanchette, items up for grabs include various gift certificates and prize packages from local businesses. Auction items include artwork, hockey memorabilia, gift baskets, and gift certificates from a variety of local restaurants.
The auction will close at 8 p.m. on Feb. 14, right after Fink’s performance.
Blanchette said proceeds from the show and auction will support Airdrie and District Hospice Society, which provides compassionate end-of-life care to palliative patients and their families in Airdrie and surrounding communities, as well as grief and bereavement support to those impacted by a medical diagnosis or loss.
Proceeds from Humour For Hospice will go toward enabling the society to continue to offer all its programs at no cost. According to Blanchette, the society is also raising funds to bring future hospice palliative care beds to the city.
“I think what motivated the event is that this past year has been a really hard year for everybody," she said. "In particular, our clients have compromised immune systems, so it’s even more of a challenge for them to get out of the house and get things done. Their families as well, they have to be very cautious when they’re out and about and then coming back home.
Headlining the event is Fink, an American-Canadian comic who has performed at and written for multiple Just For Laughs comedy festivals.
A resident of Calgary for many years, Fink’s comedy is largely based on exploring cultural differences between Canada and the United States, where he was born. He co-created the CBC sitcom An American in Canada, which ran in 2003 and 2004 and won the Gemini Award – a precursor to the Canadian Screen Awards.
While Fink has cracked jokes at thousands of comedy shows throughout his 35-year career, he said Humour For Hospice will mark his first time performing to an online-only audience.
“Everyone is going to need something to do on Valentines Day so you might as well sit with your beloved, watch a show and make a little money for hospice,” he said.
“I think it’s a really important to try and maintain a sense of humour in spite of everything going on.”
Fink said he is excited to perform on behalf of Airdrie and District Hospice Society, adding hospice care is a cause that is important to him.
“Hospice actually did a great job in Couer d’Alene, Idaho, when my dad was passing away,” he said. “They helped my mother out a lot, so it’s a cause near and dear to me.”
Tickets for the event went on sale Jan. 28 and are $25 each. According to Blanchette, 30 tickets had already been sold by Feb. 1.
To purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/39DnYML
To bid in the online auction, visit givergy.ca/airdriehospice.
Given the difficult circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in the last year, Blanchette said she encourages Airdrie residents to tune into Humour For Hospice this Valentines Day.
“I think February is a really good month to offer something like this because it’s typically a very hard month for a lot of people,” she said. “I think people this year are feeling even more of an impact, and we thought it would be good to inject some humour into their lives, and at the same time, support our programs.”
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
