This is a group that is especially close to my heart for two reasons. Number one is the fact that I, like many of you readers out there, have lost someone near and dear to cancer, that ugly relentless disease. The other is that, although being editor of the newest and best entertainment and informational web site in New Jersey is professionally and personally fulfilling for me, I do moonlight as a comedian. More than moonlight really. I’m onstage more than Tim Tebow is on one knee. More than Newt Gingrich hits the speed dating services. More than…well, you get the idea. And one of the joys of being a comedian in the 21st century is that the cruise ship industry loves comedy and there are enough gigs for all of us funny boys to entertain all over the world.
Kick Cancer Overboard entwines these two worlds. They are an organization that raises money to send families affected by cancer on a free cruise. When I first heard about them through a mutual friend of their organization and a cruise veteran, I was hooked and thought to myself, “That is the coolest thing I’ve heard in a long time.” As one who spends a fair amount of time sailing I can tell you that I see the passengers come onto these ships with luggage but no baggage (with the amount of food onboard sometimes they come on a passengers and leave as luggage). They leave their cares and worries at home. Forget the mortgage that needs payment, the shrubs that need trimming, the car that requires servicing…not this week and not on this ship. Now think of the problems cancer patients and their families get to leave behind. Medical bills, treatment options, doctors visits and more of the same are cast away like Tom Hanks in that movie where he has a beard and looks like a skinny Charlton Heston. They get to live and celebrate in a setting that feels more like a paradise dream world than a cold clinic. It is a worthy endeavor created and run by names you might recognize but you should know: Ted Friedli and Donnalyn Geigerich. To read more about them and their stories, you can visit their web site (listed below). You can donate to the organization directly through their web site or participate in one of their fundraisers coming up this month. Hey, you can even cruise with them this May 19 – 24. The Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas sails right out of Port Liberty and spends five days at sea and visiting the lovely island of Bermuda. I will be on this ship doing my comedy show in the theatre, and would love to see you all out there.
But getting back to the Fun-raisers in March, we have two choices of events for you. Why not make it to both?
Fashion with a Passion for a Purpose
March 12 6 – 8:30PM Two Rivers Theatre $25 per person
2nd Annual Fashion Show and Dance Extravaganza emceed by Donnalyn Geigerich and featuring a New York City style fashion show where you can rock the runway, dance to your heart’s content, eNJoy entertainment and culinary delights, all for the purpose of sending cancer affected patients, families and supporters on a free cruise.
Kick Cancer Overboard RockIT Benefit Concert
March 17 3 – 5PM Middletown Arts Center $15/ $25 VIP Seating
A concert featuring some of the area’s most talented youngsters from the ages of 8 – 16 playing some of classic rock’s greatest songs.