Comedy Night for Alzheimer’s family fund to feature three comedians
Need a little laughter in your life?
The Sparkle Network will present its annual comedy night fundraiser, #MomWouldBeSoProud : 10 years of Laughter Bringing Sunshine to benefit the Alzheimer/Dementia Family Fund at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Fraser Lions Club.
And it's true what they say.
Moe Lietz of Rochester Hills started the Alzheimer/Dementia Family Fund in honor of her mom who died of Alzheimer's and to help families impacted by the horrible brain disorder that destroys memory and thinking skills.
Her mother would not only be proud of the more than $50,000 it's raised but what it has done for so many people.
"This fund was created based on the journey we went through with my mom and seeing the need for offering direction and some monetary help to families who find themselves in this journey, as well," said Lietz, whose mother died of Alzheimer's and dementia in August 2021.
Tickets are $35 a person or $60 a couple.
Due to the comic content guests must be age 21 or older.
Admission not only includes performances by three comedians, Julie Lyons , Steve Smargon and Lietz, but good food, raffles, a silent auction and the infamous comedy night swag bags.
Tables of eight can also be purchased for $300 and there are options for those who wish to honor a person or memory of a loved one.
As founder and funny girl herself, Lietz will start things off with a blend of sarcasm and unfiltered comments about what it's like to grow up in a big Irish family.
Lyons has been funny her entire life but is a late bloomer to the stage. Now that comedy has become her career she has years of great stories and jokes about reaching middle age as an overweight, divorced grandmother that will keep audiences laughing until Smargon takes the stage
"She realizes you have to laugh at what life throws at you or you may be in for a world of hurt," Lietz said.
Closing the show will be Smargon, a military veteran known as "The Bipolar Marine" and one of the most unique and sought-after performers in the country. Through his stand-up, he has become a mental health advocate whose goal is to show others that they are not alone in their struggles. He was the winner of the "National Clean Comedy Challenge,"–going on three years running and among the contributors of the bestselling, "200 Comedy Writers and Stand-ups Walk Into A Book."
"His twisted takes on life cover many diverse topics and his style on any given night all depend on whether he took his prescribed medication, or a handful of Skittles," Lietz said.
Both Lyons and Smargon are among the comedians who continue to support this event year after year.
"We keep working in her honor because it is what she would want, and what she would do if she had started this organization," Lietz said.
This year's presentation of #MomWouldBeSoProud to benefit the Alzheimer/Dementia Family Fund and families in Macomb and Oakland counties impacted by the disease is Nov. 9.
It's at the Fraser Lions Club at 34540 Utica Road, in the Fraser neighborhood where Lietz's mother raised her family.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m.
Tickets must be purchased in advance at bit.ly/momcomedy2024 or by calling Lietz at 248-840-8136. All information can be found at the ticket link including prices and donation and sponsorship options.
