By Faith Topolski
Contributing Writer
Good Times of Olean will be hosting a comedy event presented by The ReHabilitation Foundation to offer opportunities to those with special needs on Saturday, Nov. 4.
The ReHabilitation Foundation was founded to help financially support the ReHabilitation Center that was established in 1957. The foundation, in addition to supporting the programs provided by the center, also extends financial assistance to members of the community who do not have access to other resources or just do not have anywhere else to go for help.
The goal of this event is to help raise money for the ReHabilitation Foundation so it can continue to help the ReHabilitation Center and people in the community with disabilities. The combined efforts of the foundation and center is to assist those with disabilities reach and maintain a high quality of life.
The foundation puts together many different events throughout the year in addition to the comedy show. These events range from auctions to a bocce ball tournament to raffles.
A comedy show was chosen as the theme of this fundraiser years ago when, according to Elena Bombardier, the director of development at the ReHabilitation Center and helped plan the event, “staff and volunteers expressed the need for a new event.”
“Comedy shows have been gaining popularity for quite some time, and as research shows, comedy has a positive effect on your mental health,” she said. “It seemed fitting (and fun) for us.”
Tickets, which can be purchased at www.rehabcenter.org/comedynight or by calling 716-375-4730 ext. 562, are $30 for two or more, which covers dinner and the show. There will also be raffles, a basket auction and each ticket holder is eligible to be entered into a raffle for a door prize.
There will be two comedians performing for the fundraiser. The opening act, Jose Barrientos, uses humor to talk about social issues. He got his start in college, where he was known to speak with a fake accent. He has also served in the United States Army and as a professional in internet security. Barrientos has performed across the country and has been featured on “20/20” on ABC.
The main comedian is D.J. Demers. He has been featured on many television spots including “America’s Got Talent” and “Conan.” Demers also has a few awards that salute his work. The foundation asked him to appear because of impaired hearing challenges he faces; the way he deals with it through a sense of humor has helped him normalize it.
Both comedians will offer diverse, clean fun pulled from their personal stories for those in attendance. Also, for those who are of age, Good Times of Olean has created custom comedy drinks for the occasion.
topolsfl17@bonaventure.edu
