Event Makes Contribution To Charities
In its fourth year, the annual Comedy Night event hosted by Doug Van Tuyl, now sponsored by the Rio Hondo Rotary and Soroptimists of Commerce/Bell Gardens, continues to grow in popularity. For $20, guests enjoyed a buffet dinner, had chances for door prizes and laughed non-stop through the event.
More importantly, it continues to greatly contribute to the cause of several valuable charities.
Once again, there were well over 300 people enjoying comics such as Brian Diamond, Felipe Esparza (the only comic to do the event in each of the four years), Larry Omaha, Rudy Moreno and Martin Moreno. One new addition to the evening was close-up magician Brian Ochab, who did a show and earlier, went from table to table to add to the entertainment.
The April 6th event, held at Steven’s Steak and Seafood House (one of the event’s sponsors with Sir Speedy Printing Center), once again supported various charities including the James Steven Filipan Art Center at the Rio Hondo Boys and Girls Club, the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center, Soroptimist and Rotary community projects and the James Steven Filipan Scholarship fund.
The Jonathan Jaques Cancer Center was represented at the event by Meghan Flynn, a child being treated there, who the Rotary is sponsoring once again in the center’s torch run this year. The Rotary is sponsoring her in the torch run; the center’s share of the proceeds is going to the hospital.
The first Comedy Night was held in the fall of 1998 as a part of Van Tuyl’s “Man of the Year” campaign with the Sorop-timists. The turnout has grown each year and continues to turn more people out with event.