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Correspondent CHICOPEE Comedian Reggie McFadden will headline a comedy fundraiser next month that promises not only a great night out but a way to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Proceeds raised from the Comedy Show on Feb. 23 at Elms College will help defray the travel costs for a host of Elms students, led by Jose Tolson, director of campus activities, who have set aside March 10 - 15 during spring break to travel to New Orleans once again to work on new construction in the Lower Ninth Ward. Tolson will serve as the team leader liaison in New Orleans at the construction job site. "Each student works on all of our fundraisers to help pay for air travel, housing, food and equipment," said Tolson during an interview with Reminder Publications. "Many area residents feel the pain of this tragedy but are unable to personally go and lend a hand. By supporting our efforts, each audience member will have made a commitment in helping to rebuild the Gulf area." The Comedy Show is planned at 8 p.m. in Veritas Auditorium and will feature McFadden, who has appeared on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and in the Adam Sandler movie, "Little Nicky." Tolson also noted that McFadden has guest starred in "Hanging With Mr. Cooper," "Moesha" and "Coach and a Gun," and was a featured actor in the FOX comedy, "In Living Color." Tickets will be $5 at the door. Tolson noted he plans to present a comedy contest to open the show but no further details were available at press time. "Aside from the fact that it will be a very funny show, the main ingredient in our efforts is 'hope,'" said Tolson. "The hope that we as individuals will always come together to help make a collective difference in a time of disaster or need." Students have not yet been informed of their roles for the spring endeavor since Habitat for Humanity's construction calendar continues to change. "From past experiences, our role will be doing new construction in the Lower Ninth Ward," said Tolson. "The demolition phase has ended and most everything now is focused on new buildings." Tolson noted that last March his group constructed storm fencing around some of the yards in the Musicians' Village in the Upper Ninth Ward. "We put up siding, soffits and front porches on some of the houses," he added. "We constructed some interior framing, helped paint a complete home, and helped put the final touches on a home on Desire Street. It was wonderful to see the emergence of a small community in the midst of so much devastation." Elms students made their first trip after Hurricane Katrina to St. Bernard Parish which included a debris cleanup. "Everything had been under water for months and needed to be thrown out," said Tolson. "This involved taking everything out of the houses down to the stud walls, as well as furniture, flooring, sheetrock, electrics and personal items. This was very difficult work, not just because of the labor involved but also because we were throwing away people's memories." Persons already signed up for the trip include Elena Tolson, Melissa Hall, Rachel Guidi, Meg Donnelly, Stephanie Hebert, Olivia Morin, Alicia Duffy, Linnea Guidi, Cristina Carignan, Krysten Czech, Tamara Westall and Tracy Personette. "While we were on the job sites there were also families, who would ultimately live in the homes we were building, working with us as part of their volunteer obligation," said Tolson. "The students had many conversations about the hurricane and its aftermath. These personal connections helped open the eyes of my students to the energy, commitment, and hope of the people in New Orleans." Tolson added that many residents, shop owners and community people who had weathered the storm pointed out how much the effort of all the volunteers had made in restoring neighborhoods and bringing a sense of normalcy back to their communities. For more information on the Comedy Show, visit www.elms.edu. | ||||||
