(Boston, Massachusetts, January 9, 2009) – Rebecca Anderson of Wakefield MA, and Jeanmarie Pariseau of Warwick RI have partnered with the Improv Asylum (297 Hanover Street, North End) and other local businesses to raise funds for the Cancer Research Institute on Friday, January 9, 2009.
From 6 - 7:30 pm, there will be a silent auction in the lobby with all proceeds going to the Cancer Research Institute. Items up for auction include signed Kate Jacobs novels, a Nanette Lepore dress, a Harpoon brewery tasting for 80, bed and breakfast stays, gift certificates to Boston area restaurants, and tickets to local family attractions. Admission to the silent auction is free, but all items must be picked up that night. Cash and personal checks are accepted for payment of auction items.
The Improv Asylum will also donate 50% of each ticket sold to the 8 pm mainstage show for Friday January 9th, 2009 when the code ‘Cancer Research’ is used for purchase. Tickets to the 8 pm mainstage show are $20 each and can be purchased by calling the box office at 617.263.6887.
For both Anderson and Pariseau, the subject of cancer hits close to home. Their mother, Elaine C. Anderson, passed away due in 1998 after a year-long struggle with colon cancer. “Ten years is a long time, yet cancer researchers still have not found cures,” says Anderson. “Losing our mother at such a young age was extremely difficult,” says Anderson, “but her passing does not mean that cancer won.”
“This event will help the Cancer Research Institute fund the research needed to find preventative measures for cancer,” says Pariseau. “I wanted to do something to make my Mom proud. Something to help change the status quo of cancer in the world,” says Anderson. Pariseau states, “My sister and I lost our mother to cancer but it is our hope that through organizations like the Cancer Research Institute someday cancer will be controllable.”
Anderson and Pariseau did their research before settling on the Cancer Research Institute. “Looking into what CRI does, I was amazed to see just how far science has come in regard to fighting cancer,” says Anderson. “Cancer immunotherapy and vaccination is the next wave of treating and fighting the progression of many kinds of cancer,” Anderson says. “I couldn’t think of a better way to help fight cancer than through laughter. I hope my mom is somewhere laughing with us.”
The Improv Asylum is a small comedy theatre located at 217 Hanover Street, Boston MA 02113. A mix of improvisation and sketch comedy, their show is part Whose Line is it Anyway? and part SNL. IA has been featured on HBO and named Boston's Best Comedy Club by the Boston Phoenix reader's poll five years in a row. For more information about the Improv Asylum, please see http://www.improvasylum.com.
The Cancer Research Institute strives toward a future where cancer is preventable. CRI funds various areas of cancer research, especially cancer immunology. CRI is consistently ranked among the top nonprofit organizations in the nation by watchdog organizations like the American Institute of Philanthropy, Charity Navigator, GiveSpot.com, and the Better Business Bureau. For more information on the Cancer Research Institute, please see their website at http://www.cancerresearch.org.
