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Photo Coverage: Inside Friars Club's SUNSHINE COMMITTEE ALL STAR COMEDY SHOW at The Jerry Lewis Monestery
By: Stephen Sorokoff Sep. 18, 2014
I don't think that there has ever been a person that has been in the Friars club who has not shared a laugh or left the Monastery not smiling. That in itself is a huge accomplishment, but the Friars do so much more than entertain themselves and enjoy their camaraderie. The Friars Club's Sunshine Committee (Tom DeBow chairman) is to the Friars Club what Ronald McDonald House is to McDonald's-they bring a ray of sunshine to those who need it most!
For over twenty-five years the Sunshine Committee (which is funded through an annual holiday raffle held at the Monastery) has been providing entertainment, companionship and tons of love to senior citizens and children's centers in the New York area. Whether they are sending singers, musicians, comedians or performance artists to brighten up the residents of nursing homes; or providing clowns, magicians and entertainment for disadvantaged children in group homes, the Sunshine Committee is dedicated to enhancing each and every life they touch. The members of the Sunshine Committee work tirelessly year-round, volunteering their time and services to those individuals who need it most. Last night, an All Star Comedy Show hosted by Stewie Stone and produced by Dave Konig was held in the Frank Sinatra Dinning Room for the benefit of the Sunshine Committee. Donating their time and talents were comics Dave Konig, Ophira Eisenberg, Gregory K. Tom Cotter, Bobby Collins and John Pizzi.
The historic Friars Club building, a five-story house constructed in 1909 that became the "Friars Club Monastery" in 1957 was this week renamed the "Jerry Lewis Monastery" after the clubs Abbot, comedy legend Jerry Lewis. A major fund raising event will be on October 7th when the Friars Foundation honors Robert De Niro and Carlos Slim at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Larry King dean of the Friars will be on the dais and scheduled to appear are Bardley Cooper, Blythe Danner, Jimmy Fallon, Kevin Hart, Dustin Hoffman, Harvey Keitel, Art Linson, Ben Stiller, Sharon Stone, Uma Thurman, Christopher Walken, Harvey Weinstein and many more.
The Friars foundation a publicly-supported foundation, whose function is to review and evaluate grant requests. They award grants in the name of the Friars. The Foundation is the conduit through which the Friars accomplish one of its major goals: The betterment of our society, particularly in the area of the performing arts. To achieve this objective, 75% of its grants are made for students' scholarship in the Performing Arts and to small Performing Arts groups. The remaining 25% of its grants are made to organizations helping the less fortunate, including The Friars Foundation Wounded Warriors Program.
Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff
Stewie Stone
Stewie Stone
John Pizzi
John Pizzi
Frank Sinatra Dinning Room
Steven Scott, Bobby Collins, Dave Konig, Marc Elliot
Gregory K., John Pizzi, Bobby Collins
John Pizza, Dave Konig, Gregory K.
Dave Konig, Bobby Collins, Ophira Eisenberg, John Pizzi, Stewie Stone, Tom DeBow, Gregory K. Tom Cotter
Stewie Stone
Milton Berle Room
EDa Sorokoff & Frani Stone
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