No Joke, Rye Arts Center Comedy Night Raises Record $62K For Scholarships

RYE, NY — Stop us if you've heard this one, but a Rye fundraising event just set a record,

More than 250 women gathered in Rye on Nov. 5 for The Rye Arts Center's 20th Annual Ladies Comedy Night, helping the organization raise a record $62,000 for its Scholarship Program. According to The Rye Arts Center, the total was the highest fundraising amount in the event's 20-year history.

The fundraiser supports scholarships tied to arts education in the community. According to The Rye Arts Center, proceeds from the event will help fund the more than 375 scholarships it provides annually for individuals and families throughout the community.

The event also highlighted the group's message about the role of the arts in community well-being. In announcing the fundraiser, The Rye Arts Center said art is "the forgotten fifth pillar of health," alongside diet, sleep, exercise, and nature, as described by researcher and author Daisy Fancourt.

Comedy was central to the evening's program. The event featured longtime host and comedian Kim Berns, who The Rye Arts Center said has brought comedy to the organization for two decades, as well as headliner Stephanie Blum and three additional female comedians.

"We spend so much time thinking about eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep, but sometimes we forget how good it feels to simply laugh and connect with one another," said Alli West, director of development at The Rye Arts Center. "There's something incredibly powerful about a room full of women, spanning generations, sharing laughter and friendship. That's good for the soul, and it's what makes this night so special."

The Rye Arts Center said the milestone event was supported by a record 22 sponsors, a volunteer committee, and event co-chairs Lexi Hart and Meg Rodriguez. Community Synagogue of Rye served as venue sponsor, according to the organization.

The group also thanked Diamond Sponsors Laura DeVita of Julia B. Fee Sotheby's and Gail Harrison Roman of The Wallace Fox Foundation. It also listed annual, opal and moonstone sponsors, along with support from The Rye Country Store, Wine at Five and Jonathan Christopher Salon.

More information about The Rye Arts Center and its programs is available at ryeartscenter.org.