Carolines on Broadway

Just last month, on Nov. 13, the PKD Foundation sponsored its second  Annual PKD Comedy Night at Carolines on Broadway in New York City and raised a grand total of $121,159.88!

Carolines on Broadway, located in the heart of Times Square, is New York City’s premier comedy club. Comedians who have performed at Carolines include such comedy legends as Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal, Rosie O’Donnell, Jay Leno, Robin Williams, Jon Stewart, Larry David, Chris Rock, and more.

The honoree for the evening was The Rogosin Institute, recognized as a premier center for the diagnosis and management of kidney disease and home to the Susan R. Knafel Polycystic Kidney Disease Center.

According to the 2018 Comedy Night organizer, NYC Chapter volunteer Amy K. Epstein, the event had two goals: “The first was to laugh our heads off and have a very good time. The second was to raise $80,000 to fund a one-year research grant for PKD.”

Emmy Blotnick takes the stage

To help meet the first goal for laughter, the event had five extraordinary comedians who have appeared on several well-known Comedy Central shows or other network programs, including Vince August, the hilarious MC, who is the full-time warm up comedian for “The Daily Show” with Trevor Noah, and Emmy Blotnick, a rising star in comedy whose own show on Comedy Central premiered in early October. Mike Vecchione, Ethan Herschenfeld and Nimesh Patel rounded out the amazing line-up. We were proud to feature them and add to their comedy club credits and growing recognition as rising stars in comedy.

The event met our second fundraising goal through the sale of 239 tickets and 13 sponsorships through the event website before the night of the event.

PKD Comedy Night also sponsored a very successful Silent Auction, which included four VIP Premium orchestra tickets to “Hamilton,” two VIP tickets to “The Daily Show,” two VIP tickets to “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee,” backstage tours at CNN and Fox News, a golf outing at a Westchester country club, a limited edition Jimmy Choo bag and a private kayak tour on the Hudson River.

Comedy Night’s amazing turnout helped raise even more for PKD research

Finally, with some encouragement for generosity made by our intrepid MC, PKD Comedy Night included some very generous donations made the night of the event with matching pledges up to $15,000.

A good time was had by all, and we were thrilled to not only surpass our goal, but to see such an outpouring of support for the PKD community and research for a cure.

Are you a volunteer Chapter member interested in stand-up comedy fundraising possibilities in your city? Contact us at fundraising@pkdcure.org to get started.