OUR SECOND STAND-UP SUCCESS!

Guests enjoy a dinner buffet from East Mountain Country Club.

Last night, we hosted our second annual FunnyRaising Comedy Show, and it was once again our largest fundraiser of the year! Now, we’re breaking down all our favorite moments and telling the story of how we pulled off our second stand-up success.

Last year, we hosted our first comedy night fundraiser alongside Jess Miller and FunnyRaising Comedy Shows, and after raising north of $4,000, we knew we had to do it again — and do it even bigger this time! As the event approached, our fundraising team put in hours of work to assemble raffle baskets, finalize dinner sales, and set the room for a night full of laughter.

Behind the scenes, our volunteers met up at 3:00pm to load up the raffle baskets into their cars, grab any last tablecloths and supplies we needed, and then headed over to the venue around 3:30pm to prepare for the big night! As the anticipation built, our fundraising team draped the tables, spread out the baskets, and greeted the FunnyRaising staff.

Jess Miller takes a selfie with our comic lineup.

Guests began to arrive just before the doors opened at 6:30pm, and we invited them to hang out at the cash bar while the East Mountain Country Club staff finished up the dishes for the dinner buffet. At 6:30pm, music filled the hall as the doors opened, welcoming guests from around the region for a fun night out. The energy was building as friends and family reconnected — you could feel it in the air!

Around 6:45pm, WMCD volunteer Dominic Monti invited guests to enjoy the dinner buffet, with seventy people lining up to fill their plates (and stomachs) with food that smelled oh-so-good!

While guests enjoyed their meals, other attendees arrived and checked in. The room was filling up quick as Jess Miller made an announcement to buy the last of your raffle tickets, grab a drink, and use the bathroom — the show was about to begin!

Headliner Darren Rivera performs his set.

And when the show kicked off, we couldn’t stop laughing! Jess Miller welcomed everyone to the event, and then host Alan Moreau began the night by telling stories about his job at a local daycare. His set lasted about 25 minutes before welcoming the second comedian, Kim Deshields to the stage! Our favorite part of the night was the palpable energy in the room. Even when the comedians weren’t mid-joke, you could feel how everyone was enjoying themselves and the company of others.

The headliner, Darren Rivera, was the final comic to perform his set. Darren was great at interacting with the audience, particularly a couple who had just been married, as he told the stories of his experience with his wife. Everyone in the room couldn’t stop laughing as the show came to a close!

After the final comic took the stage, we announced our twenty raffle basket winners, plus the winner of the 50/50 raffle. Then, we took some photos with Jess and the comics to celebrate over $5,000 raised for local charity!

We had a great time, and are still running on the adrenaline from the night. Plus, it’s been awesome to hear from so many members of the community who enjoyed the show.

WMCD Volunteers celebrate $5,000+ raised for charity.

Once again, we want to thank you for your support. We greatly appreciate your willingness to help us inspire the next generation of leaders.

We’d also like to thank Jess Miller and FunnyRaising Comedy Shows, as well as East Mountain Country Club and our fundraising team, Lisa Stawasz, Suzanne Harlow, Maureen Briere, Theresa Racine, Cindy Monti, and Addie Hume for all their dedication and time.

Truly, we could not do this without you. You’ve made a big impact.