Gotham Comedy Club Hosts Benefit for Animal Welfare Organization 7/26

On Tuesday July 26th at New York's famous Gotham Comedy Club, five comics from shows like Last Comic Standing and The Late Show with David Letterman will perform the stand-up routines, jokes, and one liners that help them get on these world-renowned shows, but on Tuesday night it will be for a special cause.

Gotham has booked Jon Fisch (Last Comic Standing), Marina Franklin (Chappelle's Show), Christian Finnegan (VH1's "Best Week Ever"), Jeff Caldwell (Late Show with David Letterman), and Michele Balan (Last Comic Standing) to benefit Rational Animal, a non-profit animal welfare organization whose projects, campaigns, and events focus on public awareness and humane education.

With so many animals losing their homes and many their lives at Animal Care and Control, it is more important than ever to address how these problems can be prevented. Rational Animal focuses on this, with campaigns advocating for adoption, spay/neuter, and responsible pet guardianship.

Currently, one of the many community-based outreach programs from Rational Animal is the Mother's Comfort Project, in which volunteers sew cage comforters and cat nip toys at a Park Slope studio for dogs, cats, even chickens and guinea pigs, awaiting adoption at New York City's shelters. Volunteers transport the loads of comforters and toys made with each sewing session to a shelter, where they place the beds inside cages and toys with cats and kittens.

Founder and Rational Animal Executive Director, Susan Brandt, said, "Anything we can do to make the animals feel a little better, more comfortable, we want to do so they can deal better with the harsh environment of city animal shelters. Our cat nip toys allow cats to become playful and energetic, which people are attracted to. This increases chances for adoption."

Rational Animal also published a 5-borough shelter map, the 5th edition of which was designed by 3D artist, Charles Fazzino. This bright, glossy pamphlet will be on hand at the event and will also be included with each ticket price.

The show, being held in the Vintage Lounge, will be MC'd by Harris Bloom, comedian and Founder of Stewie to the Rescue, also an animal rescue organization.

EVENT DETAILS

Tuesday, July 26th
Doors open: 7:00 pm - Cocktail Hour, Shopping, Mix'n'Mingle
Showtime: 8:00 pm
Gotham Comedy Club
208 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011

Tickets are $22, and the price includes a raffle ticket and goody bag with gifts from various Rational Animal sponsors. Guests will also be able to purchase Mother's Comfort beds for their own pets as well as handmade pet beds, tea towels, and hand bags from Tracey Toole Designs (www.traceyt.etsy.com), and 20% of each sale will go to Rational Animal.