Last winter found Grand Rapids residents wondering what it meant when yellow posters featuring only the drawing of a smile started popping up on street corners, in storefront windows and poked into lawns. Facebook profile photos turned to people holding the signs over their own mouths, or using using Photoshop to turn them into Joker smiles or other variations on a theme.
LaughFest 2010, a festival of laughter put on by Gilda's Club of Grand Rapids, was heralded by these small signs, but achieved big results. Running March 10-20, the festival attracted 55,376 attendees, presented 642 artists over 228 events and 49 stages. They received support from 172 sponsoring businesses, 57 participating organizations and 33 media partners. And, I suppose if you're into world records, you should know they set the Guinness World Record for most Rubber Chickens tossed at 925.
This year, "the laugh is back," Gilda's says, March 8-18. Gilda's Club of Grand Rapids is one of many Gilda's Clubs across the country, helping those suffering from cancer and their families find a way to smile in the midst of a trying time. The Clubs in both Grand Rapids and Lowell are some of the most active in the country. The Clubs are inspired by Gilda Radner, SNL actress and comedienne who passed away from ovarian cancer in 1989. During her struggle, she wrote about how her job had always been to find what was funny in any given situation. "I began to think I should do the same thing with cancer," she wrote. Gilda's Club was founded after her death by her cancer psychotherapist Joanna Bull, husband Gene Wilder and broadcaster Joel Siegel. This nonprofit offers its services to those it helps for free. LaughFest is the first festival of its kind, and the proceeds of the event benefit the club and the support it provides.
CEO and President of Gilda's Club Grand Rapids, Leanne Arkema, said before that LaughFest is not a comedy festival. It's a festival about whatever makes you laugh. LaughFest features stand-up, improv, music, dance, pets, films, lectures and comedy for kids, families, teens and adults. "We focus on the big picture of laughter and its role in health," she says. "Laughter is really important to us from an emotional health standpoint." And we don't all laugh at the same things, she points out. That's why LaughFest has such a variety of entertainment.
Attendees came last year from 25 states and Canada, she says. "[LaughFest] gives us a chance to showcase not only the great downtown area that we have, but the talent we have here," she says. "There's a lot of buzz in the industry about LaughFest and how it came out of the gate last year."
This year, Laugh Fest attendees will enjoy events not only downtown, but in Lowell and on the Lakshore. LaughFest is also introducing the Meijer Family Friendly Series. "Families that can laugh together have closer bonds," Arkema says. The headliner of this series is the Laurie Berkner Band.
Then there's Laughter Rx, focusing on how laughter and health are related. "Laughter reduces stress and anxiety and it can boost your immune system," Arkema says. "If you're on a health journey, being able to laugh is really important." Making the connection between laughter and health is Dr. Patch Adams himself, who will be speaking about the importance of laughter in medicine.
There will also be more clean comedy and the Bud Light Blues and Late Night Comedy Series. With 200 free and ticketed shows featuring 60 artists at over 40 venues, there really is something for everyone. There will also be more variety in festival ticket packages, which go on sale Nov. 18 at 9 a.m., in time for Christmas. Non-package tickets go on sale Jan. 13.
Other headliners include Whoopi Goldberg, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, Anthony Jeselnik, Bo Burnham, Marc Maron (who will be broadcasting an episode of his podcast, WTF, from the event), Mike Epps and Rodney Carrington. And as a key event, three stars connected to SNL will appear: Kevin Nealon, writer Alan Zweibel and Martin Short. Zweibel will be writing a piece exclusive to the festival.
Gilda's Club VP of Community Relations and Program Development Wendy Wigger says, "We have such a diversity beyond the comedy. I think that's what sets us apart and why we can continue to stake the claim of being the first 10-day national festival of laughter. We have so many ways the community can get engaged -- tell us and show us what makes you laugh."
"Laugh as a community together, and that builds a community too," Arkema says. "That's the heart of our message. If we want to be emotionally healthy individuals in an emotionally healthy community, we have to laugh."
Danish comedian Victor Borge said laughter is the shortest distance between two people. "We believe that here," Arkema says.
For full details, visit them at
LaughFestgr.org.
J. Bennett Rylah is the Managing Editor of Rapid Growth Media.