If you love to laugh and you also love animals, Hope's Chest has an event planned for Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018, that you will not want to miss.
The non-profit's third annual "Raise The Woof" comedy show and dinner will take place at Cleveland Community College in the Student Activities Center and Keeter Auditorium. Doors will open and a silent auction will begin at 6 p.m. on that evening, followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and the comedy show at 8 p.m.
"I think fundraising should be fun, and with 'Raise The Woof' we go beyond fun," says Dr. Deanna Moseley Lawrence, founder of Hope's Chest. "It is a night filled with fellowship, great food, silent auction items that rock and, of course, laughter - enough to make your sides hurt!"
Founded in 2012, Hope's Chest is a non-profit organization based in Cleveland County with a mission of providing veterinary medical care to sick, injured, abused and homeless animals in the Cleveland County Animal Control (CCAC) shelter. Since its beginnings more than five years ago, Hope's Chest has helped more than 1,000 animals sheltered at CCAC with medications, surgeries and other treatments. Hope's Chest hospitalizes the most serious cases, and then when the animal is ready medically and socially, Dr. Lawrence and the volunteers work to place them in loving "forever homes."
Created by comedian and producer James Uloth, Raise The Woof is a stand-up comedy event that assists animal shelters and rescue groups with fundraising efforts. Raise The Woof's goal is "to create a sustainable annual event that can become a steady revenue stream" for each of the groups it works with.
The comedians for this year's Cleveland County Raise The Woof are Conrad Bromberek and headliner Steve Mazan. Bromberek is an Atlanta-based stand-up comedian, writer and actor who has opened for many well-known comedians. He was selected to perform in the World Series of Comedy in 2014 - 2017. More information about him is available at
www.conradcomedy.com.
Steve Mazan is an accomplished stand-up comedian, television writer and author. He won an Emmy Award for his writing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and performed comedy on The Late Show with David Letterman. He is known for his style of "clean and clever" comedy. He was the star of the award-winning documentary "Dying To Do Letterman" and has had other appearances on Comedy Central, The Craig Ferguson Show, Comics Unleashed and Ted Talks. More information about him is available at www.SteveMazan.com.
Raise The Woof tickets are available at Hope Animal Hospital, 1042 Sam Lattimore Rd., Shelby, and at Rollover Pets, 105 West Warren St., Shelby.
To learn more about Hope's Chest, visit www.hopeschestinc.org or search for "Hope's Chest" on Facebook. For more information about the Raise The Woof fundraiser, visit www.woofraise.com.

By April Hoyle Shauf

Special to Community First Media