In 1975, in an entertainment world dominated by male performers, Gilda Susan Radner became the first comedian asked to join the freshman cast of Saturday Night Live.
Not the first female cast member. The first person cast for the show.
Her talent was immense & comedy was her gift to the world & also her own personal saving grace through life’s most challenging seasons.
After years of sensational ratings & success in every arena from radio to television, film & the stage, Gilda became ill, & in 1989 her life ended after a brave & bold battle with ovarian cancer.
The end of her life became the start of her second legacy. The first was laughter, the second is a network of cancer support communities founded in her honor…Gilda’s Club.
Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana is approaching its 12th birthday & will be celebrating early by moving into a new location off Grinstead Drive. This expansion will TRIPLE their service capacity & make them the largest Gilda’s Club in the world!
They hate that growth is necessary & would prefer to be out of jobs, but as long as cancer exists in our community, Gilda’s Club will be there to provide FREE social & emotional support to every man, woman, & child impacted, as well as their family & friends. Through support groups, social activities, nutrition/wellness classes, the arts & much more, Gilda’s Club does all they can to ensure no one faces cancer alone.
You can be part of that mission & help them move into the new space by attending their hysterical annual event, Night of a Thousand Laughs, taking place this year on Friday, May 17th at the Louisville Palace Theatre! Just like Gilda, this event flips the script on cancer & embraces laughter as the best medicine without side effects.
The event is celebrating its 10th anniversary by switching venues & increasing capacity. It is also the first year with a female headliner, Mandee McKelvey! Mandee’s own cancer connection is powerful & she has harnessed her experience into her gift for comedy for the last 13 years. It’s safe to say she’ll have you in stitches before the night is over.
The event also features five non-professional local business personalities who will try their hand at five minutes of stand up to raise money for the cause! This year’s local comedians include philanthropist Karen Lawrence, Alli Truttman of Wicked Sheets, Bernie Lubbers of Heaven Hill, Rob King of Northwestern Mutual, & Sharon Allen of TriArrows Aluminum. We can’t wait to hear what they come up with!
We sat down with headliner Mandee McKelvey, comedian & coach Keith McGill, & Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana Development Manager Jonathon Raley to learn more about this insanely hilarious evening to come & the organization that makes it so worth attending.
Have a listen & make plans to laugh on Friday night! Tickets range from the all out VIP experience (including dinner, open bar, show & after party) to the Party Pass (open bar, show & after party), to Show Only (plus unlimited soft drinks)!
Can’t make it on Friday night? You can still support Gilda’s Club through the pre-event raffle! For just $20 a ticket you could win one of three amazing gift card packages. First prize is 13, $100 gift cards to local restaurants. The good ones. No fast food here, folks!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION & to purchase tickets & raffle entries!! We hope to see you at the Palace on Friday night!
